Heartstrings
by ChampagneTasteBeerMoney
Summary: A Glee Samcedes/Quick AU. Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Glee.
1. Chapter 1

"Hold on, I'm on my way…Quinn, Please!" Mercedes hissed, while her friend whined about how five minutes late she was for their coffee date. Trying to quicken her pace in her four inch heels that she mistakenly wore, Mercedes clutched her purple Birkin bag that her father bought her for graduation closer to her body, so none of her papers from class would fly away in the October breeze.

"I'm passing 60th street right now…" Mercedes looked over Central Park and it made her go into a daze while Quinn was scolding her, although she has seen it over 100 times in the past four years. She still couldn't believe that she was in New York, living the life she had always wanted…Well, almost. She had made a checklist of the things she had wanted to accomplish by the time she was 30 and she had finished two-thirds of them by 23. Go to College? She had just finished a degree of Open Arts at NYU and was continuing her graduate education there. Live in a lush apartment? That has a mid-check next to it. Quinn and Mercedes share an underwhelming, but luckily two-bedroom apartment in Queens borough and their neighbors are a senile old man who never picks up after his dog and a couple who argue as loudly as they make love.

The last thing on the list was to be in a relationship and technically, she has more than one. Mercedes and Quinn are best friends. The coffee dates they have are so important because in between school and work, they are like passing ships in their home and Mercedes' remorse for being late was growing the closer she got to Starbucks. Also, she talks to Kurt all the time on the phone. Kurt moved to L.A. to be with Blaine transferring from Parsons to FIDM in the process. She missed him all the time, but she didn't want to be needy. Partially, because she didn't want Kurt to feel bad for leaving but mostly for herself. She never wanted to be dependent on anyone, ever. Mercedes wanted to have the strength to leave anyone who held her down behind, even those she loved dearly. It sounds harsh, but her dreams became number one to her after seeing Rachel Berry receive her Tony Award nomination. Mercedes knew it was unbecoming to still feel like she was in competition with Berry after all of these years, but getting an invite to her headlining Broadway play in the mail just seemed like a dig at her. Seeing Rachel grace her cocky behind all over the stage and hearing her admittedly pitch-perfect voice resound in the huge auditorium forced everyone to respect her. Rachel worked immensely hard and she deserved all of her success, despite how annoying she was. Rachel had a goal and she made sacrifices to attain it. She was living her dream because of it.

Mercedes gripped the handle of the glass door and searched for the Columbia University logo on Quinn's Laptop. Mercedes quickly walked over to the booth that Quinn was in. The article Quinn was currently devouring reflected off the lens of her glasses. When Mercedes sat down, Quinn placed a large Mocha towards Mercedes' direction without looking at her.

"Quinn—" Mercedes started.

"Save it. I needed more time to study anyway. Lerkin's class is a nightmare." Quinn shut her laptop. "Plus, I know you didn't mean to be late." Quinn lightly palmed Mercedes' hand before smoothing her blonde hair back into a ponytail. It had just grown back to it's original length and she was still getting used to it. Quinn's dainty fingers was just about to grip her own hot coffee, when Mercedes' phone buzzed. Quinn rolled her eyes. They agreed to turn off their phones for their meetings. It was just their time. Mercedes made apologetic eyes at her bothered friend but could help but beam when she saw who just texted her.

"Lemme guess," Quinn raised her hands on the table, made them a bridge for her chin and sang sweetly, eyelashes fluttering "James."

The closest Mercedes had gotten to becoming a star was in the a Choir room of a Sunday Church in Brooklyn, where all of the kids she taught thought she shined brighter than anyone and there was James. Mercedes and James met during their Sophomore year at NYU. They collaborated on a project they had for one of their classes and later, most of the remixes and originals James made in his dorm room. James was an amazing rapper; his flow was subtle and his rhymes were clever. Mercedes singing over James' rhymes was like pouring gravy on Mashed Potatoes and often times their performances would turn out full houses. They worked together so frequently, that Mercedes developed a little crush on him.

"What does it say?"

"Nothing. He just wanted to tell me 'Hello'." Mercedes smiled to herself.

"Ugh, okay."

"What, you don't believe me?"

"I haven't believed you since that day I caught you…" Quinn's green eyes shifted to Mercedes while leaning in to whisper "**Jamesing** yourself."

Mercedes recalled the embarrassing event herself. She was in her tiny bedroom, listening to one his love raps and thought of them in the recording studio. The way he would lick his thick lips while listening to a new beat he wanted to try. His olive skin garnering beads of sweat due to that feeling of nervousness he got with a finished product. His long fingers grazing the switchboard so carefully, so tenderly, then he would scratch his thick dark scruff. But there was nothing more sexy than listening to him rap and sing. James had this swagger in his voice that was so commanding, it could hypnotize any woman. On that day, she let herself fall under the spell, so deep that she couldn't help but touch herself. Mercedes had the music up so loud that she couldn't hear anything but James rapping to her. Quinn opened the door to Mercedes' room to find her with her black bra loosened and her hand deep into her matching underwear, saying what sounded like 'James' and Quinn would not be convinced otherwise. Both of them swore that incident would never leave their apartment, so Mercedes was peeved with Quinn for mentioning it outside of their territory.

"I'm sorry, but you can't deny your feelings for that boy." Quinn wiggled her eyebrows while sipping from her mug. Mercedes laughed so that when her golden hoops hit the morning light through the blinds, the reflection on the wall looked like twinkling stars.

Mercedes shook her head and while curling her hair in her fingers "It's not feelings. It's just attraction. Like you and Professor Milton…"

"Hey! Hey! I am over 18, that makes me a legal adult, meaning I can date whomever I so choose. Plus, it's not against the University code…just frowned upon."

"Spoken like a true lawyer."

"Guilty." Quinn said while green eyes said something mischievous. Quinn has tried to explain her relationship with her professor on multiple occasions with no avail, so she has given up.

Then a few awkward strums of a guitar was heard in the crowded coffee shop.

"What was that? I didn't know they allowed performances in here." Mercedes' eyes peered over the people to see who was playing.

"They probably don't. It's just some bum trying to get discovered or something. I hate it when people think New York is an immediate audition for American Idol."

"Rachel Berry did and look where she is." Quinn shrugged her shoulders and returned to her laptop. Mercedes finally got to see the person playing holding the instrument. He had a Batman hoodie on and his big hands tuned the guitar. He finally looked up his audience. His eyes were wide and excited, like a newborn puppy.

"Ahem, hello. I am Sam, Sam I am." Sam chuckled nervously when no one responded to the joke. "And, um, I am going to sing a few songs this morning."

"Lord, here we go." Quinn muttered while typing vigorously. Mercedes hushed her and turned her attention back to the cute man about to play a song.

"Well, um, I hope you enjoy it."

He began to play a steady melody and Mercedes recognized it immediately.

Called you for the first time yesterday

Finally found the missing part of me

Felt so close but you were far away

Left me without anything to say

Mercedes started to sing along and lowered Quinn's laptop to personalize her performance. Quinn purposely ignored her and slowly moved to the left in the booth, away from Mercedes.

Now I'm speechless

Over the edge, I'm just breathless

I never thought that I'd catch this love bug again

Hopeless, head over heels in the moment

I never thought that I'd get hit by this love bug again

Mercedes and Sam's voices joined together effortlessly for her favorite part of the song.

kissed her for the first time yesterday

Everything I wished that it would be

Suddenly I forgot how to speak

Hopeless, breathless

Baby can't you see?

Sam heard a powerful and sweet voice singing with him, but he couldn't find a face.

Now I'm…

Yeah oh

Now I'm speechless

Over the edge, I'm just breathless

I never thought that I'd catch this love bug again

Now I'm hopeless, head over heels in the moment

I never thought that I'd get hit by this love bug again

Ohhh

Love Bug again

The audience applause scattered throughout the coffeehouse.

"Thank you," Sam grabbed another pick from his guitar case, then added in his best Elvis Presley impression "and to whoever was singing along_ you have a mighty pretty voice, little mama."_

"Ha, did you hear that? He called you his _little mama_." Quinn mocked Sam's impersonation.

"Shut up, Quinn."

**Author's note: Hi! Okay, guys, I'm going to need you to forget that Drake exists because he is the frame for the character James. He is just so beautiful, I had to include him in my story. Also, I am not sure how much of the actual history in Glee I want to use yet, but this is clearly a AU, where Sam and Mercedes don't know each other. I have more ideas, but I'll let them unravel with the story. This is a mature fanfic, so if you don't want samcex, please don't read. Thanks!**

**Songs featured: Lovebug by The Jonas Brothers.**


	2. Chapter 2

Mercedes needed her coffee. The sun wouldn't always completely do it's job and wake her up, so she was dependent on it. The wait line every morning was unbearable, so much sometimes Mercedes would just borrow some of Quinn's instant. It started to become more worth it to see more of Sam the singer. Not only did he have a voice that could swoon her into doing anything, but he was nice to look at. Watching those long fingers strum at his acoustic guitar so gently made Mercedes think about how he loved in bed. The precision of his mouth in each word made her melt, thinking about how his tongue would curl in certain places. His blonde hair cut right above his wide, soulful eyes.

She would sit in a booth near the window, right behind an Upper East Side businesswoman and her four rowdy rugrats. She could always see him, but he'd never see her. Sam became somewhat of a hit in the 61st and Broadway Starbucks. There would always be a row of girls shaping a circle around him for his performances but only one voice that was trail through the air, meeting his in perfect harmony. Sometimes the girls of Sam's Harem would make dirty looks at Mercedes for making his solos unsuspecting duets, but it didn't bother Sam one bit. In fact, it has become routine for him to make give a shout-out to her at the end of the song and Mercedes would always put her shiniest coins in Sam's tip jar. Sam would thank her with his eyes glowing so intensely, that Mercedes heart thumped at warp speed.

—

In the afternoons, in-between her class schedule, Mercedes would often meet up with James to go over some new material, practice covers or just shoot the breeze. Today, James decided to focus on Mercedes power chords.

Baby, baby, baby

From the day I saw you

I really really want to catch your eye

There's something special 'bout you

I must really like you

Cause not a lotta guys are worth my time

James hit the keys of the baby Steinway piano with such feeling, hearing Mercedes sing always made him felt like it was something to worship. Mercedes sat next to James, singing while he backed her up.

Ooo baby baby baby

I can't wait for the first time

My imagination's runnin wild

It feels like ooooo

You don't know my name

**And I swear it baby**, it feels like oooo **You don't know my name**

_(round and round and round we go, will you ever know)_

Mercedes stood up and lingered to the end of the piano. Mercedes felt too touched by the words to sit down anymore. James nodded along to the time, feeling every word she sang.

Owww! _Ooooo Oooooo_

Doin more than I've ever done for anyone's attention

Take notice of what's in front of you

Cause did I mention you're 'bout to miss a good thing

And you'll never know how good it feels to have all of my affection

And you'll never get a chance to experience my lovin'

Cause my lovin' feels like ooooooo

Mercedes thought about how unfair it was. When they made music together it was like the world went away. James was only hers and she was only his. But there would never a chance. James always spoke of never mixing business with pleasure. But if he could just see her, really see her and all they could be…

And it feels like oooo

You don't know my name

_(round and round and round we go, will you ever know)_

_**And I swear on my mother and father it feels like**_

Oooo ooo oooo ooo ooo ooo

Oooo ooo oooo ooo ooo ooo

Oooo ooo oooo ooo ooo ooo

_You don't know my name_

_**(round and round and round we go, will you ever know?)**_

"WOO!" James said clapping his hands, flashing his perfect smile at Mercedes. "Damn, girl! You know what you talking about, don't you?"

Mercedes said nothing and played with the red fringe at the end of her knit poncho. James softly put his hands together and positioned himself on the piano, as if he was going to begin to pray staring at Mercedes as if she were an angel.

"There's nothing else to say. You're a star. That's it." James shrugged, shaking his head and smiling. Mercedes wished he would stop being so nice. It would be easier for her not to imagine what their kids' names would be if he would just stop being nice to her.

"James, stop. Don't blow my head up or soon, I may start charging you to hear me sing."

James then rose from behind the piano to stand behind Mercedes. He wrapped his hands around her waist. Mercedes held her breath, for she thought her fantasy just might come true.

"James, wh—"

"There's just one thing," James said deeply into her wavy, black hair. James put his strong hand against her stomach, pushing their bodies together as one. "You aren't using your diaphram enough. Instead, you take keep taking mouth breaths. Try taking one huge breath from it, here," James took in a smooth inhale, while Mercedes was desperately trying to breathe. When he exhaled, his sweet breath blew intently, as Mercedes imagined, on her ear, making sigh escape from her lips. "See? Isn't that better?" James whispered, like a secret. Mercedes just nodded, still trying to find air.

"Okay!" James clapped his hands again, walking back to the piano to pick up the sheet music he left. Mercedes almost tipped over."So, what are you doing on Friday?"

"Um, probably staying in. It's my first day off in a while and I—"

"Mercedes. 'Cedebaby. Didn't you remember?" James wore a stone-cold expression. Mercedes looked horrified, just the thought of forgetting something that James wanted her to do made her want to cry. However, a few seconds later James broke into a laugh.

"James, you play too much!" Mercedes playfully shoved James. "I almost had a heart attack!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I shouldn't make fun of how worried you get. But, really, my birthday party is friday. I can't believe you forgot, I know I told you girl."

"Oh my goodness. It definitely is. Sorry, James. You know I'll be able to make it now, though."

"Yes. I. Do." James took Mercedes hand and made her spin slowly around. "I also, need my star to be looking shcexy. Know what I'm sayin'?"

"Don't I always bring my sexy?"

"Nah, you do bring your church, sometimes." James started to clap his hands together and stomp in time, humming some church hymn.

"Shut up, boy."

—

Mercedes was gathering her laptop and books in her booth of Starbucks, getting ready to leave to go home and study. It had been a rainy day and even though usually that doesn't stop the morning rush from pouring in, the coffeeshop had been practically empty. Even Sam the singer didn't show up. Mercedes started to put on her cheetah print trenchcoat when the door's bell jingled. Holding his guitar case in one hand and shaking his sock hat off in the other, Sam turned around to meet Mercedes with a grin.

"You're not leaving yet, are you?" Sam teased, sliding off his leather jacket. "Not before you hear my song for today." Sam's geniune smile warmed Mercedes up so much that she decided that she could hear just one song. She sat back down and put her umbrella on the table. Sam strung out a few chords and began to play a quick rhythm.

So I look in your direction

But you pay me no attention, do you

I know you don't listen to me

'Cause you say you see straight through me, don't you

For the first time, Mercedes didn't recognize the song Sam was playing.

And on and on from the moment I wake,

To the moment I sleep,

I'll be there by your side,

Just you try and stop me,

I'll be waiting in line,

Just to see if you care.

Whether it be the aroma from all of the coffee being made, or the sweet music being played from Sam's guitar, Mercedes swore she was dreaming. She was so entranced by Sam's lips, she didn't even hear the words anymore.

Oh, oh, oh, oh.

Did you want me to change?

Well I changed for good

And I want you to know.

That you'll always get your way

I wanted to say,

Don't you Shiver?

Don't you Shiver?

Shiver, oooh, ooooh

I'll always be waiting for you

Once the music stopped, so did Mercedes state. Snapping back to her senses, Mercedes gave Sam sound applause with a tiny smile. As she was making her way to the trash can to throw away her coffee cup, he leaned over and said, "So, I'm guessing you didn't know that one. Not a fan of Coldplay?"

"Huh?"

"I know you're the one who sings with me." Mercedes tried to defend herself, but she didn't know why. "You don't think I see you? Always hiding behind your big purple bag and the lady with the badass kids?" Sam shook his head and smiled knowingly. "You have a beautiful voice."

"Thanks." Bashful, Mercedes was going to put a quarter into his tip jar, until Sam snatched it away.

"Instead of a tip, how about telling me your name?" Mercedes looked confused at Sam, as if he was trying to trick her or something.

"Mercedes."

"Mercedes." Sam repeated, with a little more confidence than Mercedes actually did. You would've sworn it was his own name. "So, Mercedes, where are you off to?"

"Um…I'm going home to study."

"Right away?" Sam began to pack away his guitar. It was so pretty, Mercedes couldn't help but admire the flower cascading down it's body. "You like what you see?"

Mercedes noticed Sam's position: squatting down so whomever was behind him could have a perfect picture of Sam's ass. Sam's ample, tight ass sitting pretty in his fitted jeans. Mercedes panicked, that wasn't what she was looking at but now that he brought it up, she couldn't stop thinking about it.

"No-no, um, I-I didn't mean to-"

"Relax. Relax, I'm kidding." Sam laughed. With that, Mercedes decided it was time to leave. Not only did she embarass herself but a complete stranger was making fun of her. Sam quickly followed her out. "Wait!"

Mercedes made fast walking look like a sport, as her matching cheetah rainboots attacked puddles. Sam was hot on her heels, dodging people and cracks in the sidewalk. "Can I walk with you?"

Mercedes thought she may have liked him better as 'Sam the Sexy Singer'. If she talked to him that would make him an actual person. He would exist now and there would be no more mystery.

"I'm sorry. I don't have time to chat." Mercedes was trying to practically run away from Sam but she couldn't shake him.

"Ok, how about tomorrow?" Mercedes stopped short when she saw how persistent he was being.

"You aren't from here, are you?"

"Who really is?" Mercedes smiled at his answer and how his skin flushed in the cold. "So, tomorrow?"

"Um…" Mercedes tried to find excuses so badly.

"Come on. I won't kill you. I promise." Sam raised up his hands as a white flag.

"Why so eager? I mean, you don't even know me. It's a little weird." Mercedes said, matter-of-factly while waiting at a stop light.

"Honestly? From just hearing you sing, I knew that you were someone I'd want to be around."

Mercedes didn't know if that was just some pickup line, but it didn't matter. Because it worked.

**A/N: Hi! So, I want to tell you guys that THERE WILL BE SMUT. Eventually. You guys have to wait for it a little. Fluff before the freaky. Thanks for reading!**

**Songs featured: "You don't know my name" by Alicia Keys, "Shiver" by Coldplay.**

**BTW, when the lyrics are in plain text, that means it's one person singing, if it's in Italics that's the other person and if it's in bold that means they're singing together. For example, in the duet Mercy was the plain text, James was the Italics and they sang together for the bold.**


	3. Chapter 3

"It is so a date."

Quinn lounged on a velvet purple couch they got at a yard sale, while taking notes from her textbook. Mercedes applied her cherry lip balm with her newly manicured finger.

"Is not." Mercedes switched her neck around to snap at Quinn. She would have gotten ready in the bathroom, but there was not enough room for all her supplies. Mercedes began to frantically toss the ends of her hair at her naked elbows.

"Mercedes, earlier you asked me whether to wear falsies or mascara. You would not be this frigid for a non-date." Mercedes decided on mascara.

"Okay, c'mon, tell me. How do I look?" Mercedes was desperate for Quinn's approval, when she didn't need to be. She looked fantastic. She wore a white, off-the-shoulder, cotton sundress that gathered at the waist, showing off her famous hourglass figure, her favorite rust-colored cowboy boots that Quinn often wore although they were not her size. Her hair fell in waterfalls, tinted with golden brown with a side-swept bang and had an arm full of wooden bangles and gold bracelets to match her golden hoops.

Quinn removed her horn-rimmed glasses and raised her shoulders, "You look gorgeous."

"Really?"

"Oh my God! See! This is so a date!" Mercedes made a frustrated noise and went into the bathroom. "You're all excited and flustered!" Mercedes came back into the living room with a faded jean-jacket over her arm. "Face it, you are going on a date with the singing bum. _You like the singing bum."_

She began to count off on her fingers, "Okay, one: it is not a date. Two: it is definitely not a date if he does turn out to be a bum. Three:...Shut up, Quinn." Mercedes spun around for the mirror one last time before putting her jacket on.

"You're going to have kids that don't wear shoes and sing 'Kumbaya'."

"What the hell are you even talking about?"

"I don't know." Quinn giggled and flipped a page in her textbook. "Can I tell you what I do know?" Mercedes turned around to see Quinn hiding behind a loose-leaf paper that said, "IT'S A DATE!", with scribbled hearts all around and the caption "Mr. and Mrs. Singing Bum." in black Sharpie marker. Mercedes went to the counter in the kitchenette, stuck her hand into their Winnie the Pooh jar and threw a cookie at Quinn. She shielded herself with her Intellectual Property textbook.

"Bye!" Mercedes sang out the door, while Quinn was still trying to get her to admit what she would not: she actually might like the singing bum.

"It is so a date." Quinn said to herself before taking a bite out of the chocolate chip cookie that was used as a weapon against her and returning to her studies.

Mercedes stood anxiously underneath the sun visor of the Starbucks where they had agree to meet. She held herself, assuming the worst and waiting to be stood up. She was preparing snide remarks and comebacks to make to him in the case that she didn't show up. Give him hell without a tip. Though, all of this conspiring wasn't making her feel any better. Then she felt a tap on her left shoulder, she turned to the left and saw no one, then to the right and there he was. He looked so laid back in his plain v-neck and jeans, that Mercedes was beginning to feel overdone.

That was until he said, "God, you're beautiful." Mercedes chuckled at his bluntness and was slightly embarrassed but happy that her efforts weren't unnoticed.

"I was expecting a 'Hello', but that works too." It was Sam's turn to be embarrassed and he smiled down to the sidewalk. Then, Sam held out an arm for Mercedes to hold.

"Shall we?"

"We shall."

Arm in arm, Sam and Mercedes strode down the street, genuinely happy to be in each others presence. At the first crosswalk they stopped at, Mercedes rose the first question.

"So, Sam, you're not from New York, right?"

"No, ma'am. I'm from Nashville, Tennessee." Sam put on his southern drawl, making Mercedes swoon a little, only catching herself when it was time to walk.

"What brings you to New York?"

"Uh..I'm just doing some freelance, you know? Taking some time off."

"Oh, no. That's code for "I'm-a-homeless-bum" isn't it?" Mercedes thought out loud. She liked him so much already, she couldn't stand being wrong about him. Even more so, Quinn being right.

Sam laughed at the abruptness in Mercedes tone and happily corrected her. "No, that's code for "I-just-got-out-of-school-and-I-do-odd-jobs-around-the-city."

"School? What school did you go to?" Education instantly made a 0 turn into a 100 for Mercedes and Sam was already a 95 so she was really excited...and tittlated. However, she was going to run into on-coming traffic if he revealed that he just got out of high school.

"I just graduated from RISD. Got a Bachelor's in Illustration. Yeah, I wanna...make my own comic books one day. Actually, I'm in the process of creating my first one."

"Really? What's it about?"

Sam's face became full of delight as he described his comic book to Mercedes. His heroes were a group of teen friends that had unique social and physical abilities. There were more details, but Mercedes was too busy watching his succulent lips at work. He had been working on it with a friend from RISD, but the friend decided to push it several companies in California.

"Why didn't you go with him?"

Sam answered her with a shrug. "We still communicate through e-mails and skype, though."

"Aren't you worried about the fact that he's doing business without you?"

"Nah. I'd trust him with my life." Mercedes softly smiled at Sam and squeezed his arm a little tighter.

"So, what are the freelance jobs that you do?"

"Um, I cut grass, I do some carpentry work, plumbing, some illustrations for local newspapers..."

"And you're a Starbucks troubadour?" Mercedes' eyes gestured to the black guitar case strapped to Sam's back.

"Yeah. It's my favorite, quote-unquote, job that I have."

"Yeah? Why?" Sam's eyes glinted as he turned to look at Mercedes. He was happy that she was so full of questions, he felt that meant she was interested in him.

"It's like...gah..how do I describe it? I'm not very good at words, but in every moment of my life, I could find a song to describe what I'm feeling. Happy, sad, anxious, distressed, sexy..." On the last word, he did a Barry White voice that made Mercedes snort. "But, it just always felt like when the people in my life couldn't say the right things to make me feel better, the music always could."

Mercedes nodded in agreement. "So, what are you feeling right now?"

"Right now?" Sam gave her a mischievous look and stopped walking with her. He unpacked his guitar and started to tune it. Mercedes looked around to see if anyone else was witnessing this. This was really happening right now. Sam was really going to sing her a song in the middle of the sidewalk. He began to tune out his guitar and play a familar riff to Mercedes.

Oh, her eyes, her eyes, make the stars look like they're not shining

Her hair, her hair, falls perfectly without her trying

She's so beautiful, and I'd tell her every day

Oh, you know, you know, you know I'd never ask you to change

If perfect's what you're searching for, then just stay the same

So don't even bother asking if you look okay

You know I'll say

Onlookers and pedestrians began to stop and stare at the two of them. Shining in the middle of the block like a piece of broken glass, sending beams of happiness at eachother.

When I see your face

There's not a thing that I would change

'Cause you're amazing

Just the way you are

And when you smile

The whole world stops and stares for awhile

'Cause girl, you're amazing

Just the way you are

Soon, a whole crowd of people surrounded Sam and Mercedes clapping and cheering. Sam walked up to meet Mercedes' smiling face and played a final chord for her, getting a laugh from Mercedes.

"Whether the words are mine or not, everything comes from right here." Sam's grabbed Mercedes smooth hand in his large, calloused one and placed it on top of his chest where his heart was beating steady underneath. No one had ever sung Mercedes a love song before. Well, James would, but only to get her feedback, not to win her heart. Mercedes wanted to kiss him into an inch of his life, but instead she kept hold of his hand and dragged him along, never taking her eyes off him and never taking her smile off her face.

Mercedes finally got a moment to herself outside of Butterfield Market. Sam said he had to pick something up there on their way to Central Park. She checked her iPhone for any messages. She had two.

_Hey, honey! It's Kurt! I called the house, but Quinn told me you're on a date_-Quinn must die-_so, I hope you're having fun!_

Mercedes heard someone scream "I love you, Mercedes!" from the background.

_Oh, oh and Blaine says 'Hi' too! Oh, sweetheart I miss you so much! Be sure to call back with all of the deets! Kay, I love you, be safe!_

Mercedes silently smiled at Kurt's dramatic delivery considering they just talked the other day, but was happy that she was being thought about. She saw her second message was from Quinn and rolled her eyes in preparation for the foolishness she was about to hear.

_It'sadate! It'sadate! It'sadate! It'sadate! It'sadate! It'sadate! It'sa-_

Mercedes hung up immediately.

Sam returned outside with a huge, wicker basket.

"What's that?" Mercedes tried to open the basket, but Sam moved away.

"Hey, lady! Don't you like surprises?"

"No."

"Well, you'll like this one. C'mon." Sam roped his arm around Mercedes neck, never letting go.

Sam and Mercedes hiked up to one of the highest hills in Central Park. Mercedes was upset about this, repeating "Black people do not hike." Sam just ignored her until they got to their destination. It was now dusk in the city and from the hill they could see everything.

"I don't really like coming to the landmarks of the city," Sam said, rolling out a plaid red and white blanket on the dewy grass."But, if you look down you can see all of the people and if you look up, you can see a few stars." Mercedes looked at the spots of the sky where Sam pointed in awe."It's like sitting on a cloud."

"I can't believe I've never been up here before."

"Well, you said, 'Black people don't hike'." Mercedes laughed and crawled down on the blanket to join Sam. Sam reached for the blanket to unpack the food that Mercedes could smell while treading behind him up the hill. In fact, she was probably so dehydrated from her mouth watering. "Okay," Sam began to list the things he had brought as he took them from the basket, "we got roasted chicken, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes with gravy and bottled water. Bon appetite."

While having dinner, Sam talked about his little sister and brother, Stevie and Stacy and how his family had a hard financial situation for a while and he ended up getting a full ride to RISD. After dinner, Mercedes and Sam laid on the blanket together, star-spotting.

"Hey," Sam said lightly. Mercedes turned to look at him with curiousity. "You've spent all this time getting to know me, I've hardly got any time to know you."

Mercedes made a loud breath, "Okay, in a nutshell. I grew up in Ohio. My father's a dentist, my mother is his secretary. I have one older brother, he lives in California. I have an degree in the Open Arts from NYU and I'm persuing my M.F.A. there too."

"Okay, now tell me something about you that I couldn't find on Wikipedia." Sam turned on his side to look into Mercedes' eyes. Mercedes rolled over too, their hands meeting in the middle.

"Um, my best friend is my roomie."

"Alright, I'm assuming it's a girl?"

"Yes. Her name is Quinn."

"Does she go to NYU too?"

"No. She goes to Columbia Law School." Sam made a low, clean whistle. "Yup."

"So, you guys met in high school?"

"We did."

"What made you guys best friends?" Mercedes contemplated the question, then rolled onto her back. She felt all of the crickets and ants moving underneath her.

"It's a long story."

"I have all the time in the world for you." Sam shifted onto his elbow, staring down at Mercedes with a seriousness that was none sweet nor awkward.

"Okay, um...In high school, I was...I was a loser, to put it plainly and she was popular and head , we both joined glee club and it all changed." Sam didn't know what a glee club was or a cheerio, but he thought it best not to interrupt.

"Kurt and I...Oh, Kurt's my best friend too, he's in L.A...Yeah, we, um, we both became cheerios. Quinn was pregnant and she got kicked out. It's the equivalent of being a cheerleader to most people, but to be cheerio was to be a warrior. I mean, intense practices, diets, and the coach was a complete tyrant. Anyway, she, um, told me that I had to lose weight to be on her team. A massive amount of weight. So, I tried to work out the normal way, but that didn't work. So, I tried crash dieting and pretty soon...I crashed. I ended up passing out in the cafeteria. I woke up to find myself in the nurse's office and Quinn brought me a banana. She commended me for being so comfortable in my own body and she told me that I shouldn't let becoming a cheerio take that away from me. And she told me that I was beautiful. She was the first person to ever call me that. I mean, the first person that wasn't in my family and that wasn't Kurt. That meant a lot to me. Anyway, after her parents found out about her pregnancy, she got kicked out and I invited her to move in with me and my family. It took some arm-pulling for my parents but...I couldn't let her go through that alone. After she had her baby and gave her up, she moved back in with her mom, but we've always been really close...Wow, I guess it wasn't that long." Mercedes chuckled to herself.

Sam had that same earnest look on his face. Mercedes looked a bit confused at him. She couldn't tell what he was thinking and that scared her. Then, Mercedes felt the heat of Sam's body hovering on top of her.

"Sam-" Mercedes was silenced by his soft lips. Sam planted soft kisses on Mercedes mouth, bridging the tip of his tongue in the crease for permission to enter. Mercedes moaned as Sam's tongue explored her mouth. Sam moaned and went deeper into the kiss as Mercedes response became rougher. Sam detached his mouth from hers and moved her hair away from her neck for access. He whispered into her hair in between kisses, letting his southern accent slip a little.

"Oh, Mercedes...Sweet Mercedes...You're so soft...And you smell so good..."

Sam nudged his knee between hers for an entrance. His hand slid so slowly up her dress, grabbing and caressing her skin like so that goosebumps raised instantly. Sam felt the wetness seeping through her lacy panties and became hard in a matter of seconds. His fingers bent back the elastic and snuck their way into Mercedes' walls. The fingers skillfully pushed Mercedes' button, leaving her a sobbing mess. She was panting as her hips were jerking with his movements. He went a little deeper, and Mercedes threw her head back in a deep moan.

"Oh, oh honey, you're going to kill me." Sam said, eying her now visible nipples. Just then, he noticed something in Mercedes' hair. It was brown and it was fluttering. "_Oh shit_." Sam whispered, stopping his fingers in the process. Mercedes whimpered in protest. "Mercedes...don't move, okay baby? Just don't move."

"What? Why?" Mercedes asked, still breathless and undone. Sam cursed again. "What? What's the matter, Sam?" Mercedes asked, a little more demanding this time.

"Okay...Don't freak out...But...There's a bug in your hair."

"WHAT?"

Mercedes jumped up immediately screaming, throwing her hair hair to one side, finger-combing it as frantically as possible. Then, to the other side, while her feet looked like they were in the middle of a game of double-dutch.

"Get it out, get it out, get it out..." Mercedes pleaded.

"Baby! Baby, you have got to stay still okay? Just stand still, so I can check you..." Sam put his hands around her head to check for anymore bugs, while Mercedes hopped around impatiently.

"It's gone, right?"

"All clear."

Mercedes started to feel her heart-rate return to normal and took a minute to look down at herself. Sam was stepping towards her again for a kiss, but Mercedes backed away.

"What's wrong?"

"Sam, I don't know you! I don't know you and I just let you-_We almost just got busy! In public, no less!"_ The last sentence Mercedes whipsered harshly through her teeth, while gathering her things from the blanket.

"Almost." Sam took a quick second to adjust his erection, so it wouldn't be so ovbious. That didn't work.

Mercedes sighed, after fixing herself up again. Sam preferred to see her all flustered and unkempt, it looked like he did his job and he did it well. "Look, Sam. I just feel like everything is moving a little too fast. Like, Mach 5 fast."

"Nice Speed Racer reference." Mercedes huffed at his willingness to change the subject to comics.

"Sam-"

"I know, I know. You're right and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..._imposed_ myself upon you I guess."

"No, don't be. I mean, I gave you the greenlight. Hell, _I gave you the keys to start the car."_

After a polite, hands free walk from the park with light conversation and minimal flirting, Sam and Mercedes arrived in front of her apartment.

"So," Sam closed the space between them. "I think it's only customary for me to give you a goodnight kiss. Or, am I going Mach 5 again?" Dangerous territory.

"Mm, no, I think we can handle that." Mercedes and Sam's lips were about to rejoin, when suddenly they both winced at the bright light coming from the doorway of Mercedes' apartment. Quinn was standing expectantly in the doorway, smirking at the both of them. "Quinn! Um, this is Sam and Sam, this is Quinn. My roommate."

"Uh, yeah, hey, nice to meet you!" Sam quickly put out a hand for Quinn to shake. Quinn looked at Sam then at Mercedes then at Sam again, and firmly shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you as well." Mercedes made a sigh of relief. The three of them stood awkwardly for a moment then, Quinn asked them, "Did you-did you guys want me to close the door again or-"

They both protested wildly: Mercedes explaining that Sam was just leaving and Sam insisting he had to get some sleep because he had a job in the morning.

"So, um, goodnight." Sam said.

"Goodnight!" Mercedes said, now in the apartment standing beside Quinn. Sam walked away rubbing the nape of his neck.

"Goodnight, Sam!"

"'Night, Quinn!"

After Sam was out of sight, Quinn asked, "You guys were about to kiss, right?" Mercedes glared at her and walked further inside their apartment.

"Uh-huh, it was so a date!"

**A/N: Hi! I really hope you guys enjoyed this one. It was so much fun to write. I have a lot of ideas I want to run with, however this fanfiction is taking over my life and I realize that I haven't really made you guys wait very long for new chapters. So, I have to get on my school steeze and then AND ONLY THEN! I will give you new updates. Oh, and next chapter, I have a bit of surprise for you all 3 Thanks for reading!**

**Songs featured: Just the Way you Are by Bruno Mars**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or songs used in this story.**

Underneath the covers of her canopy bed, Mercedes felt secure and comfortable. However, it didn't occur to her that she wasn't sleeping alone. The linger of some fingers on her bare shoulder made her stir. She turned around to see James there, drunkenly smiling at her with his pearly white teeth. Mercedes confused thoughts couldn't hide her excited expression.

"James, wh-"

James put his mouth on hers with bearded force, succeeding in making her forget all reason. Briskly, he slid his hands around Mercedes waist and pulled her closer to his chest. James' sly tongue rapped words that fell into Mercedes mouth with ease, she moaned along the way. The calves of her legs felt a gentle breeze, then she felt another weight on the bed. A large, calloused hand turned her body over and she saw Sam. He held her close to him, feeling his length stiffen on her thigh. Sam's hands began to roam Mercedes' shape, then started to mold her breasts.

"Sam, what are you-"

"It's your dream, Love Jones." He whispered huskily before lowering his lips to her sharply accented nipple. He suckeled through the fabric of her flimsy nightgown and James found access to her neck. Sam's hands lifted up her gown with James' help. James removed her underwear from behind, while Sam worked on dystroying her with his hot tongue on the soft flesh of her lungs. Mercedes felt James' breath on her neck and his length enter, her whole body was consumed in desire-

_**DON'T TROUBLE THE WATER! RAISE IT UP! WHY DON'T YA-WHY DON'T YA LET IT BE...**_

Mercedes unpleasently awoke to her alarm-clock radio blaring gospel tunes, in her small bedroom without Sam or James. How's that for divine intervention? She lifted up her covers to find that she was wearing her pink pajamas with the penguins on them, not the flimsy, sheer white nightgown she thought she had on. The only thing she did take from her dream was ruined panties. She sighed hopelessly, shut off her radio and patted the side-part of her scalp. She just got her hair re-done after the bug mishap in the park with Sam. It itched like the first time she had chicken pox and she hoped it would stop in time for James' party. **James' Party. **

Mercedes frantically grabbed her iPhone from her nightstand and checked her memos. She took a sigh of relief when she realized that James' birthday party was the next day and not the day of. She still had time to find something to wear, though Mercedes didn't know why that was so important. Mercedes thought she could be wrapped in cellophane and James' still wouldn't see her. But, when you look good, you feel good and after the disappointing end to her wet dream, she _needed_ to feel good.

Mercedes phone chirped and revealed that she had a new text message.

_Good morning, sunshine!_

_-Sam._

Feeling good wasn't too far away now for Mercedes. Sam's simple greeting instantly made her heart glow red. Then, Mercedes made a discovery.

_Good morning! Are you doing anything around 1 today?_

_-Mercedes._

Mercedes' brain racked back and forth. She knew she could ask him over the phone, but part of her really wanted to see him again.

_I don't know. Am I doing anything around 1 today? :)_

_-Sam._

Sam and Mercedes walked off a hearty lunch at Chick-Fil'-A by moseying back to NYU campus. Sam wanted to take Mercedes to the fancy resturants she deserved to be in, but he just didn't have the money for that right now, he could only take her to cheap fast-food joints. Freelance doesn't _always_ pay minimum wage and that picnic they had set him back about $30, but she was worth every penny.

Sam held a extra-large fry cup in his hand, taking the tips of the fries in his mouth with his teeth and shredding through them. Mercedes walked idly by him, unnerved by the fact they were holding hands. Probably because she was so nervous that she didn't notice.

"Sam, I have a question." Mercedes' voice softly spoke, while looking at him earnestly.

"_Yes_, Mercedes. I will let you bare my children."

Mercedes let out a laugh and shoved his arm shielded by the material of his leather jacket Sam playfully.

"No! I was just wondering...if you would...come with me to a party tomorrow?"

"A party?" A french-fry danced in Sam's mouth before falling down his throat. "Whose it for?"

"My best friend James. It's his birthday and-"

"You want me to be your man candy. It would be an honor." Sam sported his southern drawl.

That was easier than Mercedes thought it was going to be. Bringing Sam not only to be her, as he so elegantly described, "man-candy" but to be a distractor from James was a perfect idea. She needed someone to take her mind off of the groupies that would throw themselves at _a not-even-that-famous-but-that-gorgeous_ James and Sam would keep her dancing and laughing all night long. Mercedes wasn't sure if what she was doing was wrong. **Using a man that really liked her to deflect her feelings for another man that she really liked . **On second thought, she _knew _what she was doing was wrong.

Before she could talk herself out of taking Sam, he stopped in his tracks, pulling her back in the process.

"Oh shit." Sam said aggravated. "_Oh, shit_."

"What? What's wrong?" Mercedes leaned into Sam, geniunely frightened, "Is there something in my hair again?"

Sam laughed heartily once looking at Mercedes worried face, he stroked his hands through her wavy dark hair gently "No. No, you're perfect. It's just that...I just remembered that my roommate and I had something planned tomorrow. We haven't really hung out in a while and it was just supposed to be a guys' night."

"Oh...well, no problem. I wouldn't want to you to leave your friend hanging." Mercedes wasn't completely disappointed. This protected her from making a bad decision and playing with Sam's feelings. She didn't mind going alone really and if it got to her-if _he_ got to her-she would just head out early. No harm, no foul.

"Damn. It's a shame, I wanted to dance with you, mama." Sam suddenly spun Mercedes around with the tips of his fingers. The polka-dot pink and black dress she had on turned around effortlessly with her. She squealed out in delight and fell against Sam, dizzy from the spin and the scent of Sam.

"Don't do that, Sam!" Mercedes regained her balance and straightened out her dress. She couldn't fight the smile from her face. "Do you want me to fall?"

"So madly and so deeply, you will never be able to get up without thinking of me." Sam's eyes glazed over with a passion that Mercedes didn't see that night at the park. She was letting the meaning of Sam's words sink in when he sparked up, "I've got an idea!"

"For what?"

"Your roommate, Quinn, is she seeing anybody?"

"I'm not really sure." Mercedes lamented not knowing whether Quinn was in a relationship or not. Once Quinn had told her that she was persuing one of her professors, Mercedes just told her that she wasn't comfortable with what she was doing, so she didn't want to know anymore about it. Mercedes regretted those words and wanted to take them back, but Quinn told her it was fine and left the room with a little hurt in her eyes. From that moment on, there was an invisible crack in the foundation of their friendship. This was the one time that Mercedes refused to be there for Quinn.

"Okay...well, my roommate isn't seeing anyone _officially _and I think that we should set them up on a date! My roommate will drop me in seconds once a girl is involved and I can take you to your party." Sam said with joy, before grabbing another waffle fry with his teeth and saying, "_Fuck_, I'm smart."

"I don't know about that. Quinn isn't the type to go on a blind date."

"Well, it won't really be a blind date. I know him and I can tell you enough about him, so you'll know him too." Sam insisted. "It won't be a blind date...it'll be like she's blind-_folded_, you know? With one of those sheer hankies."

Mercedes huffed and rolled her eyes at Sam's growing smile. "Well...okay. But I make no promises."

"I can live with that."

"Mm...Sam?"

"Yes, darling?"

"Can I have a fry?"

Sam gestured a three-quarters full fry cup toward Mercedes. When she was about to take one with her hand, he shook his head and made a noise while pulling it away. Mercedes glared at him through the corner of her lashes and meekly caught a waffle fry with her lips.

"Attagirl."

Mercedes was apprehensive not only about the date Quinn was going to have with Sam's roommate but her impending date with Sam as well. Mercedes was unsure of her feelings and she constantly felt bad because Sam always put himself out there. She stared at their hands, fingers tied and swinging in the same perfect harmony at which they sang together. Mercedes couldn't take her eyes or her mind off their hands holding and what it meant for them. Sam caught wind of this and used the opportunity to lift her off her feet by twirling her around again.

"Sam, stop!" Mercedes giggled. _Good_, Sam thought. _She's smiling again._

"_Oh, hell to the no_."

Quinn sat on Mercedes' bed, flattening out the potential outfits for Friday night.

"Come on, Quinn!" Mercedes called from another room. Then, she came sweeping in with dresses from Quinn's overstuffed closet. "I think this one looks nice." Mercedes held up a one-sleeved emerald green dress, smiling brightly. Quinn grunted and took the dress from Mercedes.

"I'm not going on a date with the singing bum's friend. No way." She threw the dress onto Mercedes' black vanity set.

"Hey! He's not a bum and his roommate went to school!"

"Oh yeah? What school?"

Mercedes muttered something while digging in her closet for her favorite black Pumps. Quinn asked her to speak up.

"Community." Mercedes said, like she was getting over Strep throat.

"_Oh, fuck that_."

Mercedes whirled around and gave Quinn a serious look, while Quinn was flipping through the latest _Time _magazine.

"Quinn, when did you become such a snob? You know, college isn't for everyone. Besides, I don't go to an ivy league school. What, do you secretly look down on me or something? Do you instantly dislike anyone who doesn't further their education?"

"No. I love you and I respect those who decide not to go to college. It's the ones who can't even get into schools that made it onto the UNWR list and _dare_ to think that my degree and their degree have the same weight when I study at least 40 hours a week to maintain a 3.7 GPA and they just copy and paste from some 2-bit web site they found off of Google, that I have a problem with. It's completely absurd. Just as well, I need to have a partner that makes the same amount of money I do or more, so it doesn't become a detriment to our relationship. The only way I can be sure to do that is to marry someone with the same creditentials."

"Ugh, that's so elitist."

"Holla." Quinn threw up a peace sign.

"I'm not asking you to marry the guy, Quinn. You don't even have to like him, just entertain him for a few hours while Sam and I are at the party. Just please, Quinn?" Mercedes begged crawling on her knees, inching closer to Quinn's feet. She held her hands together, giving her sad eyes. "Please?"

"No, not the puppy look!" Mercedes poked her lower lip out and started to whimper. Quinn looked off into the distance, searching for the will to turn down her friend without feeling guilty. She could not. "God, okay! But if he gets handsy, at least once, I'm going to cut him."

It took Mercedes and Quinn thirty to fourty minutes to make it to Sam's address. The trip would have been a little shorter, if they hadn't stopped at a Duane Reade for "last-minute lotion" and gum. Mercedes skin cracked up like a sidewalk when she was nervous. Quinn joked that she should probably get some "last-minute protection" too, pointing to the condom section, but Mercedes didn't laugh. On the BQE, Mercedes got a look at Quinn while she was swaying, involuntarily bumping into people on the train. She had on a slim, black dress that ended at her knees that completely covered her front-side but her back was fully exposed until the start of her waistline . She hid her back with a faux-fur brown coat and her hair was in a low pompadour-ponytail. The lights went out for a split-second on the train and when they came back on, Quinn natural looking makeup made her glow.

"You look pretty done-up for someone you consider a bum..." Mercedes said matter-of-factly, looking up at Quinn scrape the heel of her ankle boot against the floor, trying to get off some stickiness that contracted.

"I like to look my best when I reject someone."

Mercedes and Quinn soon arrived at a ritsy condiminium complex. While walking through the marble lobby, they absorbed their surroundings like a sponge. The last time that Mercedes was speechless by the living conditions of other people was the time she studied a semester abroad in Africa, clearly for different reasons however. On the elevator ride up, Mercedes acknowledged her reflection in the mirror of the wall. She was wearing the black brocade dress that Kurt made her, strapless and short, making like a tutu with small waves and frills at the bottom. Her legs were covered with opaque gray tights that were doused in glitter and the strappy black heels she wore added at least five inches to her height.

On the 24th floor, while walking to room 43Y, Quinn hovered close to Mercedes and whispered, "Are you sure your guy isn't a drug-dealer or something?"

"Quinn..."Mercedes warned, her smoky eyes staring lasers into Quinn.

"Oh, c'mon Mercedes, this is too amazing for someone _just _in freelance. What does his roommate do again?"

"He's a businessman...I think."

"And his name?" Quinn figured maybe that she heard of him through one of her Columbia friends or _Forbes_.

"...Nnn...Something with an N or M. N! It was definitely an N, but I can't remember."

Quinn shrugged and they arrived at the door of Sam and company's apartment. Mercedes knocked anxiously at the door, expecting for all of this to be trick of some kind. Sam then opened the door and his eyes poured over Mercedes' body like hot butter onto popcorn.

"Wow, you look incredible." Sam swooned.

"You always give the best 'hello's', Sam." Mercedes played with the belt of her Cheetah printed trenchcoat while giggling.

Finally, he managed to tear himself away from Mercedes to say, "Ahem, hey Quinn. Thanks for doing this and you look really good too..."

"Mm-hmm." Quinn said, satisfied.

Mercedes and Quinn soon entered into their lofty apartment. The room was wall-to-wall beige with all black furniture and the fireplace burning. The only pops of color was the large, painted portraits of fictional superheros with neon colored backdrops. Their sixty-five inch Plasma, was replaying an episode of _Heroes _on dvd.

"I'll go get your date, Quinn." Sam walked into the hallway, Mercedes staring at his perfect bottom in his black slacks the entire time. "Dude, the girls are here!"

"Okay, this is how bums get to live? Psh, college isn't worth _shit."_

Mercedes nudged Quinn and suddenly both of their jaws were on the floor. Sam brought his roommate into the living room and he was only clad in a towel hanging loose at his waist, his chisled tanned body dripping wet from a hot shower. Also, there was the fact that he was none other than Noah 'Puck' Puckerman.

"You have got to be _fucking _kidding me." Quinn said.

**A/N: Hi! Dun dun dunn. Surprise! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. If you guys are fans of the Samcedes Fanfiction community, I hope you'll notice that I made a little shoutout to 'DivAine Intervention'. Hopefully the author reads this and is inspired to update! Thanks for reading! Until next time...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters on Glee. I want to though. Some of them.**

"What the _fuck_, Mercedes?" Quinn spat, her voice burned so hotly that Mercedes could smell the smoke. Mercedes read that Quinn thought that this was her master plan.

"Quinn, I swear I didn't know! Even if I had remembered his name was Noah, there is no way I thought it would be—"

In an instant, Puck's strong arms grabbed both of their waists and hoisted them into the air. They both made little screams at the suddenness.

"Q-Fab! Mercy-Mercedes!" Puck excitedly carried them both over his shoulders and spun around. In the dizzying spiral, Mercedes saw Sam run onto the scene, bringing along a look of confusion with him. Puck finally let Quinn and Mercedes feet touch the ground. "What the hell is up, ladies?"

"Wait, you know each other?" Sam said, walking closer into the reunion. His voice was more accusatory than interested.

"We all went to high school together." Quinn straightened out her dress and smoothed the fur on her coat. Puck got in between Quinn and Mercedes and pulled them against his still soaking wet chest.

"Yeah, both of these ladies couldn't get enough of me back in the day!" Quinn and Mercedes eyes averted down to the floor as Puck pulled them closer, except Mercedes was embarrassed and Quinn looked shameful.

"So, you guys dated?" Sam addressed that question to Mercedes more than Puck or Quinn, with his arms folded defensively. His muscles flexed strongly through his black button-down shirt.

"Yes, but not for a very long time." Mercedes uncomfortably detached Puck's arm from her shoulders, moving closer to Sam, but he continued to stand peeved. How was it that she managed to get Sam and Quinn mad at her for something that wasn't her fault? At the corner of his green eyes, he saw Mercedes meekly hold her hand out toward his side as an unofficial apology for her past and he accepted.

"Yeah, but me and Q-fab have quite the history, don't we?" Quinn was still held close enough Puck to smell the Axe body was he was wearing. Puck's eyes ran over Quinn like how he used stare at her during Cheerio practice. He would follow her every move. "You haven't aged a day, Quinn Fabray."

Quinn slinked away from him, reminding herself that people don't change. Albeit his trademark Mohawk was no more and his features have grown more distinguished and darker over the years, he was still the same person. "You probably haven't either, Puckerman."

"Thanks."

Quinn's eyes rolled as the insult went over Puck's head.

"So, we're going to leave now!" Sam announced, grabbing his leather jacket and an imaginary knife trying to cut the tension and the awkwardness from the room. He put his hand on the small of Mercedes' back while she was still making her goodbyes, pushing her out the door.

"It was great to see you, Puck! We all have to go out sometime!"

Quinn could have sworn that he heard Sam mumble, "Hurry, before she changes her mind", as they made their swift exit and slammed the door shut.

"So…"

"So…"

"Do you want to get dressed, or something?"

As if by magic, the towel remained glued to Puck's waist during the whole interaction. Puck scratched behind his neck, letting the leftover water drip down his stomach.

"Yeah, I probably should."

Mercedes and Sam walked to the club that James' was having his party. The pavement glittered with wet with broken beer glasses and all of the lights of the city; Sam thought he might go blind. He never really thought much of the night life and it was hurting his eyes. As a response and a reason to, he lingered close to Mercedes. Sam's mind reluctantly kept wandering to Noah. They've been in complete silence since they left Quinn and Noah because he couldn't imagine why Mercedes would ever date him. Sam thought Noah was an asshole. A lovable asshole, whom he considered a friend. Sam and Puck were so different, that he wondered how long they would last. He didn't know what kind of person Mercedes was back then, but if she was just as amazing as she is now, how could she have been with him? How did she put up with his shit? What made him so irresistible for her? Questions kept building in his brain that his head was being sent into a jealous overload, forcing him to interrogate her.

"So, you dated Noah?" Sam tried to hide that he was almost in hysterics.

"Yes, but he was Puck to me."

"Why? I mean, what was so great about him? Was he smart? Was it that he was a jock or—"

"He just showed an interest in me." Mercedes said, her eyes traveling off to some bittersweet flashback. Sam had mistaken that for affection.

"Was he good to you?" Correction: _Is he better than me?_

"Why? Are you jealous?"

Sam stuffed his hands in pockets, while kicking at the ground and shrugged lightly.

"Listen, if it makes you feel any better, I've been seeing you longer than Puck." Mercedes linked her arm with Sam's. That did make him feel better.

"Mm, so that's what we're doing? Just seeing each other?" Mercedes was surprised that Sam was asking for a definition. In her experience, limited to Shane Tinsley in high school and a few one-night stands that ended in her heart being broken, it was the guys' who always just wanted to have fun and leave things as vague as possible but now it was her.

"Yeah. Sam, I really like you but it's only been a week. Mach 5."

"Okay, but we're more than friends right? Because, the things I want to do to you, I wouldn't want to do with Noah and _definitely not Puck_." Sam's voice took a deeper tone that was near a growl and let go of Mercedes arm to loop around her waist. "I promise, once you see things my way, you'll be _begging_ for Mach 5." Mercedes felt a mini-earthquake roll through her body as Sam's hand ran up and down her waist.

"Okay, um, so how do you and Puck pay for such nice digs?" Sam felt the presence of Mercedes leave his side. She thought it better not to get wrapped into being flustered like she did at Central Park. The more space between them the better. Sam smiled at his power to make Mercedes blush. They may not be boyfriend/girlfriend, but at least his advances did not go completely cold. "Don't tell me you're involved with drugs." Quinn in her head again.

"Psh, girl, didn't you hear crack is whack?" Mercedes slowly shook her head and made a lazy smile. "But honestly, you know how I said that I do some freelance plumbing and carpentry?" Mercedes nodded.

"Noah owns the company."

Mercedes snorted, "You're joking, right?"

"No. _Noah's Plumbing and Carpentry Service, we'll give you more Puck for your Buck_." After saying the slogan in his voiceover imitation, Mercedes face stood still as cement, than cracked up royally. Sam returned the laugh, "_Now_, I get why he's called 'Puck'."

"Wow…Puck: A businessman? I can't seem to wrap my head around it." Mercedes shook her head, the raven tresses of her hair dancing.

"I'm guessing he was kind of a 'dumb jock' type in high school?"

"Sort of." Mercedes wanted to tell the truth, without insulting Puck. She never thought he was dumb, just dopey, like the character from Snow White. "He doesn't talk about it?"

"No. Every time I ask, he just veers into another subject."

"So, how did you two meet?" As soon as the question uttered out of her pretty mouth, Sam's face directed at the stars. Mercedes thought a meteor was coming to crush them the way he got so excited.

"Hey, look! It's the same star we saw in the park! Look at it!" Mercedes looked at Sam, unimpressed.

"Nice try, Sam." He blew a breath and grabbed for Mercedes' hand, about to apologize for his own past.

"When I first came to New York, I was low on money. So, I took some jobs that weren't really…_honorable_, I guess you could say."

"What were you, a prostitute or something?"

"Close."

"Give me a hint."

Sam stopped walking and made a heavy sigh. Then, he began to make a house beat with his mouth, lips bursting with each "boom-boom-boom". His torso began to move expertly to the song coming out of his mouth. It wasn't until he began to unbutton his shirt that Mercedes stopped him. She pulled his hand and continued walking so people wouldn't stare and so she wouldn't be provoked again.

"You didn't like the show?" Sam started to re-do his shirt as Mercedes re-did her bashful face. "You're not upset about it, are you?"

"No. Actually, stripping would be the perfect job for Puck." On the outside, Puck always seemed really tough and badass, but everyone knew that he only wanted attention. Being one of the pencils with the dullest tip, Puck just wanted someone to pat him on the head once in a while and tell him that he did well. That was hard in school, with rejection meeting almost every girls' face when he passed and almost every essay he had tried to write. No one would ever take him seriously and dubbed him a 'Lima-loser'. But here, in the huge city, he could be anyone and with all the women, vying for a sexy dancer to make them feel special and that short-term love they don't get from their own husbands, Puck was right at home.

"I know. He still does it." Bingo.

"Why?"

"For kicks, I guess. He definitely doesn't need the money."

"…Do you still—"

Sam began to do his party-boy dance in the middle of the sidewalk again and stopped once he saw Mercedes trying to look upset at him.

"Stop! People are staring!"

"Jeez, lady! I was just trying to show you what I was workin' with!" Mercedes made a cross look toward Sam, but after he made another goofy gesture of him pumping his fist in the air, a smile crept onto her face. "But, no. I have retired from stripping. Besides, since I work for Noah I have to keep my figure up anyways. It's kind of like stripping, still. He said he 'won't have any fatties' because when we work in the summer we have to have our shirts off at all times." Mercedes eyebrows knotted. "Marketing strategy."

"Have you really retired from stripping? I mean, no…_special_ requests?" Mercedes teased, her fingers walked up his arm to the tip of his shoulder.

"Don't ask for White Chocolate unless, _you want some, _babe."

**A/N: Hi! Sorry, this chapter is a little shorter. The other ones will be too probably, but only because I am trying to update as much as possible without going overboard and letting it swallow up my time. But it other news, the next chapter will be more of a Quick chapter (Quinn/Puck). Also, I have another idea for a Glee fanfic I'm developing! It's also Samcedes, so look out for it! Thank you!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Glee. If I did, things would make a lot more sense and I wouldn't want to blow Finchel from one of Sue Sylvester's cannons.**

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><p>Quinn was on Puck's authentic leather couch, watching the little hand tick on his wall clock.<p>

"It should not take a man this long to get dressed…" Quinn sighed and opened her large DKNY satchel to pull out her handy laptop to get started on some weekend work.

"Quinn?" Quinn peered her head up in the next moment to see Puck standing nonchalantly standing at start of the hallway, next to the wall of the replaying episodes of Heroes. "Oh, this is a good one."

Puck turned his attention to the cheerleader that was currently getting her forehead sawed through by a man in baseball cap. Quinn eyes ran over the silk material of his dark blue, crisp button down. In tailored black slacks and Cole Haan's Venetian loafers, Puck looked like an entirely new person. His arms were folded, Quinn wanting to drag her prim fingers down the side of his bicep, engrossed with the pleasure of feeling the shirt and Puck's muscle. As the credits rolled, he turned off the television but Quinn was still watching the show called, 'What-I'd-Do-To-Puck-Right-Now-If-He-Wasn't-Puck' in her mind. She had the starring role.

"Are you ready to go?" Puck's question made Quinn quickly shut her laptop and abruptly canceled her X-rated programming.

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><p>Puck and Quinn lazily walked around the lower east side of the city. Puck wanted to suggest things that they could do, but if memory served, Quinn wasn't interested in his idea of fun and not the dirty kind. Although, he wasn't opposed to the dirty kind. Quinn was easily becoming bored and wondered if there was a quick escape she could make from this train wreck of a situation. Puck was her past and she didn't want to bring him into her future. However, a part of her did miss him.<p>

"So, what are you doing here, Puck?" Quinn's eyes earnestly looked into Puck's guarded demeanor. "I thought you were staying in Lima."

"Well, after high-school was over and everyone left. I decided I wanted to do something important, you know? Make something of myself."

This was a completely different side of Puck that Quinn had never been exposed to.

"I decided I was going to take a road trip and I was going to have sex with at least 7 girls in each state in one week. Y'know, get adapted with other cultures. It was going to be a documentary, 'Pucking America.'"

No. Puck hasn't changed at all.

"I got to 23 in Ohio, with connections and contacts and such. 12 in PA, and then I stopped in New York. I had such an influx of kitty-cat in three days, I had to stay! I mean, with all of the beautiful women here, there is definitely enough of Sir Love-A-Lot to go around."

Quinn let a smile creep to her face when she remembered that is what Puck named his member.

"New York is full of women from all states and countries. It was pretty much a one-stop-shop." Quinn nodded, fascinated and disgusted at the same time. Puck bit his lip and stared at Quinn for a minute, his hazel eyes painted with a maturity that she wasn't even aware he had.

"And honestly? I was hoping to run into one of you here. I mean, everyone kind of just flew off to college…nobody keeps in touch anymore."

"Well, where were you for the Christmas party?" Quinn asked, somewhat upset that Puck decided to blame everyone else for not keeping in touch when he had the responsibility as well. She was also upset that she even cared so much that Puck didn't try to contact her, but she didn't know that.

"What Christmas party?"

"When everyone came back home freshman year, Rachel had a get-together." The next year, Rachel did not host a party, but the gang decided to at least meet up at the Lima Bean. As time went on, the numbers of original glee club members attending the get-togethers slowly began to dwindle, until it was just Quinn, Mercedes and Kurt sitting in front of a television watching Christmas specials from the 60's.

"And last year, when Rachel was on Broadway for _Anything Goes_? She had this huge party after the show. Aside from Finn, you were the only one not there."

"She was _on_ Broadway?" Puck said with a shocked smile. Although he didn't speak to Rachel since graduation, he was genuinely happy that she reached her destination.

Moments later, the realization washed over Quinn and Puck that Rachel didn't even care to invite him. His features started to droop like a sad puppy's would. Then, he turned towards Quinn and made a light shrug.

"She probably did invite me, I just had other things to do. I can't even remember that shit." Puck said, after wiping his nose on the sleeve of his Burberry pea coat.

"Yeah, that's probably what happened." Quinn said sincerely, trying to spare Puck's feelings.

After a few depressing beats, Puck began to grin widely to himself. His smile quirked Quinn's suspicion that he was thinking of something from their past. That or he had just passed gas.

"What are you smiling about?" Quinn interrogated. Puck shook his head.

"Nothing, nothing. It's just that…I was just remembering when you were pregnant with Beth." Even hearing the name of her first, unclaimed child put Quinn on edge. "I was thinking about when you would call me in the middle of the night for your cravings. Remember how we would drive to Vato's Tacos and you would always get that really messy one—"

"The Gordita Giant." Quinn started to reminisce to herself about how she made his pick-up truck smell of tacos with all of the times they had their late-night meals.

"Yeah! You didn't want to wake Mercedes, so you would always call me. I miss those times."

"I don't! I was always hungry and I could barely fit through the door of your truck!"

"I meant I missed how close we were."

Indeed, Quinn would never let a guy watch her devour a massive, messy taco then and even now. Although, she would always be reassured by her boyfriends and girlfriends about how pretty she was, that didn't help Quinn's paranoia. In fact, it was the trigger. To maintain her image and not go back to "Lucy Caboosey", she tried to be conscious of the food going in and the words coming out of her mouth. With Puck, though she never had to worry. There was a perfect level of comfort to be herself and eat as much as she wanted.

"For it to be the big apple, it sure can get lonely sometimes." Puck added, looking at Quinn as if they were still sixteen.

"I know what you mean." Quinn did not return his glance. "Hey, do you want to eat?" She was going to take advantage of this moment of leisure by having a fatty meal with an old friend.

"Sure! I know the perfect place!"

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><p>Puck took Quinn to Mikey's Burger on Ludlow and Rivington. Quinn sat in one of the round chairs and shamelessly gnawed on a sirloin double cheeseburger while listening to Puck talk about his adventures in New York, which included a male-strip joint called Miss Peggy's Pleasures, a stint at Brooklyn Community College, living with an older married woman while her husband was away on "business trips" then getting her to invest in his Noah's Plumbing Service and being able to reimburse her full investment within the next two years.<p>

"We still talk," Puck said, sucking the spicy mayonnaise dip from his fingers. "Gabrielle divorced the dick and she's sitting on the alimony from it."

"Are you two still—"Puck shook his head before Quinn could even finish her question.

"It's not like that anymore. I don't mix business with pleasure." Quinn nodded, drinking her milkshake, respecting that Puck now had a work ethic. Every time they would attempt to study together, he would always look for some way to get her naked, especially while she was pregnant. Puck explained that there was nothing in the world more beautiful than a woman carrying a child and since she was already gorgeous, Quinn's beauty was at maximum level. Quinn would have fallen for it, if he wasn't the one had gotten her pregnant.

"So, how did you meet that guy Mercedes is with—God, what's his name?"

"Sam." Quinn snapped her fingers and nodded. Quinn could never remember the names of people she thought could not help her advance in life in any way. "Yeah, Sam's cool. We met because we were both stripping at Miss Peggy's—"

"Wait! He's a stripper?" Quinn eyes glowed wickedly. "Mercedes is going to die!"

"He doesn't do it anymore." Puck said, a little annoyed. "He just moved to New York and he needed the money, like half of the staff. My business was just getting off the ground and I needed more handsome men to unclog toilets, so we started talking. I didn't hear most of it…because I was too busy staring at his obnoxiously large mouth…Like a fish…" Puck stared into space for a second, thinking about Sam's unusual mouth-to-face ratio, he caught Quinn staring curiously at him and was brought back to earth.

"Anyway, I figured out that he was crashing at a friend's house and he needed something permanent. With all of the money that we both brought in from the stripping and other jobs, we were able to buy an apartment together. The money kept coming in from the business and stripping, I invested a little here and a little there, that was Sam's idea, and now we're on Easy Street."

In the less than a decade, Puck has become an accomplished businessman and entrepreneur. With the exception of Rachel Berry, everyone else was still slaving away at school or the caste systems of their careers, only hoping to achieve the success of lifestyle that Puck had. That didn't defer from Quinn being a little apprehensive of being with him. Not only did he look amazing and was financial success, but he looked fantastic. All of these things were distracting her from the fact he was still Puck, but little things would bring her back to that realization. Quinn was impressed and wanted to tell him so without sounding snobbish. However, just as they were finishing their meal, the words of admiration were forming on her lips but then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see it was some of her friends from school. _Oh, great._

"Hey! What are you guys doing here?" Quinn masked a smile and greeted the boy and girl with a hug.

"Oh, we're just hanging out!" The girl said, slipping her hand inside the boy's. "But you look great! You must be on a hot date!" Quinn waved a dismissal with her hand and laughed it off. Puck did not find this very funny.

"Who's your friend?" The boy gestured his eyes toward an internally hurt Puck.

Quinn turned her eyes to Puck as if she didn't know he was sitting next to her. "Oh, this is Noah. Noah? Ben and Whitney." Noah shook both of their hands cordially.

"Do you go to school?" Whitney asked _Noah_, who was beginning to answer.

"He's taking a break!" Quinn interjected. "He just graduated and looking at some internships."

"Oh, cool. So, are you working now, or—"Ben asked.

"No, he's just living with friends until he finds the right internship and grad school. Right, Noah?"

Puck had never been in this situation before. Yes, women would boss him around and he would comply because he wanted to please them, but a girl had never spoken for him before, let alone speak lies. He didn't like the feeling. Puck imagined that smoke was coming out of his ears at the moment, but the others did not detect it.

Instead, he just smiled and said, "Right." A small fume must have been leaving his head, because Ben and Whitney started to look uncomfortable.

"Well, we're going to be late! So, I'll see you in class?" Whitney said, leaning down to hug Quinn again. Quinn nodded and watched the couple running outside of the diner after they made their 'it-nice-to-meet-you's' to Puck. Puck decided not to give Quinn a piece of his mind—even though it was obvious she didn't think he had one—right there in the diner. So, he picked up the check and escorted Quinn out of the diner.

"So, _the hell_ was that in there, Quinn?"

"What are you talking about?" Quinn said pretending to be innocent. "Oh! That? Ben and Whitney are stuck-up and I didn't want them to embarrass of you." Quinn didn't really think about Puck, _she's_ the one who didn't want to be embarrassed.

That was it. Puck was going to explode.

"And why the fuck should I be embarrassed? I make an honest, legal living! I can support myself and my family, but I should be embarrassed? What, because I don't go to some major league school—"

"Ivy league." Quinn cared to correct.

"Whatever! I don't give a fuck about that! You know what? I thought you actually might have changed. You know, getting out of Lima and being exposed to all of these new people, I thought you might leave your uppity, judgmental shit behind. But you're not like you were in high school. You're worse. You know the one thing I learned from being in New York? I don't have to be around people who make me feel like shit like in Lima! You still think I'm that Lima-Loser that I was in Ohio, and that's fine. But I know that you are still that uptight, prissy bitch who tries to make everyone just as unhappy as she is."

Quinn was speechless and felt a sting in her eyes at Puck's harsh words.

"You will never find happiness or love because you still hate yourself. And because of that_, I feel sad for you Quinn Fabray._ You may not think I have the right to, but I do."

Puck stomped away, stuffing his balled fists in his pockets. Quinn wanted to call after him, but was too shaken to speak. A hot tear fell from Quinn's eyes as she realized that some of Puck's speech was right on the money. She had to apologize to him. Quinn followed Puck skillfully for a half-hour. Never wandering ahead of him but never straying behind, she counted the steps she needed to be away in order for her to remain unnoticed. Puck walked into a bar that flashed a sign about Friday night being Karaoke night. Quinn got an idea.

* * *

><p>Puck sat at the bar, learning his face on one hand and drinking his fourth whiskey sour from the other. After that blast from the past with Quinn, he wasn't up for anything else that evening. Puck was pissed that he was letting Quinn get to him, especially since he told her off the way he wanted to. How dare she still make him feel belittled after all these years? He was doing better than anyone from Glee club and she couldn't find it her heart to give him credit. Not even to be the least bit proud of him.<em> Well, fuck her<em>, he thought taking another sip. Still, Puck couldn't shake the look in her eyes. Hurt, regret and tearful. God, he hated it when girls cried even if they deserved it. It was Karaoke night at the bar, so it was naturally empty in the place. It was only him, the bartender and some man butchering Journey's "Don't Stop Believing", with a drunk girl swaying without rhythm on the dance floor. When the man was done, he stepped off the stage without applause and Puck was getting ready to call it night, when the intercom squeaked.

"Next up: Q-Fab!" The DJ said over the speakers. Puck became a mannequin who was attempting to put on a coat. It couldn't be, could it? Then, a woman sashayed onto the stage with her furry-coated back turned to the audience. Puck was beginning to leave again, thinking it was a female bear of some sort. Suddenly a guitar riff kicked in and the coat dropped to the floor, exposing the bare, pale back he remembered loving to kiss and rest his face on, it was so soft. Quinn released her ponytail and mussed her hair, spinning around to stare directly into Puck's eyes.

_I want you to want me_

_I need you to need me_

_I love you to love me_

_I'm begging you to beg me_

Quinn danced, letting go of all of her reservations and putting whatever hairography she remembered to the test. Puck sat on the edge of his bar stool, mouth gaping open. She pointed to Puck and sang:

_I want you to want me_

_I need you to need me_

_I love you to love me_

_I'm begging you to beg me_

She made a daring leap from the stage to the dance floor taking the sparkly gold microphone with her. She ran to the enthusiastic drunk couple and danced with them, acting out the lyrics. The couple whooped and cheered Quinn.

_Shine off my old brown shoes_

_Put on a brand new shirt_

_I'll get home early from work_

_If you say_

_That you love me_

Quinn then ran to shocked Puck at the bar. At the speed her rear made contact with the stool next to him, she spun around a number of times before facing Puck.

_Didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin'_

_Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin'  
>Feeling all alone without a friend you know you feel like dyin'<br>Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin'_

The bartender washed out a glass with an amused grin geared toward the two. Puck gazed at her with a smile growing on his face, remembering how funny, how smart, how sweet, how beautiful, how _amazing_ Quinn could be. Then, she ran back to the stage to take her last stand. Her hair was a tussled mess and it was good that it was the end of the song because she was getting breathless, moving around like Mick Jagger.

_I want you to want me_

_I want you to want me_

_I want you to want me_

Quinn made an inhale and gave the last line everything she had, trying to elevate her voice the way Mercedes often had. But, she knew she wasn't Mercedes, so she settled for an imitation of Joan Jett.

"_I want you to want me…!"_ She sang, raising her hand in the air and moving further back in a matrix-like stance the farther she pulled the note. When she was finished she snapped back up, her golden blonde hair falling forward. Quinn earned a standing ovation of the couple and the bartender, but Puck was still in awe. Quinn retrieved her coat and purse from the floor and made a quick exit from the bar. Puck was hot on her heels.

"Quinn! Quinn!" Puck called after her. Quinn strutted down the street carrying her coat in her arms. It was windy and less than 50 degrees outside but she felt like she was on fire. She hadn't done that since Rachel's unforgettable booze party in the 11th grade.

"Quinn—"Puck caught up to her, holding her shoulder getting ready to say something. He didn't know what to say, but he wanted to say something.

"I'm sorry." Quinn blurted out. "I'm sorry. You're right, I'm wrong. You're smart, I'm dumb." As Quinn rambled on with her apology, Puck moved a strand of her hair from her flustered face. Suddenly, she grabbed the nape of his neck and forced him against her lips. Quinn's tongue swirled around Puck's hungrily, only to let go seconds later. "But don't _ever_ call me uptight." Quinn demanded, regaining strength.

She was beginning to walk away, when Puck pulled her back, holding her with the same closeness Quinn saw in her porn-like fantasy earlier. He tilted his head down to connect their lips again with a peck. Quinn gave another chaste kiss and Puck went in for the full Monty. There was an eloquence in Puck's kissing that was gentle but rough at the same time. Puck was almost lifting Quinn of the ground, trying his best to keep her from leaving him, until he felt her pushing at his chest.

"Puck, I—I'm with someone." Quinn said with remorse.

"I don't care." Puck nibbled on Quinn's lower lip. He still knew what made her tick. Quinn wrapped her arms around Puck's brusque shoulders, picking up right where they left off.

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><p><strong>AN: Hey guys! Quick is so fucking on, lol. So, the good news is the next chapter will be wholly Samcedes in exchange for this Quick chapter. The bad news is that probably won't be for another couple of weeks. But hey, my birthday is Tuesday! Leave a review? Thank you! Take Care!**

**Songs featured: "I want you to want me" by Cheap Trick.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Glee.**

**A/N: Apologies for mistakes/errors.**

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><p>"<em>Who<em> is this guy?" Sam asked when they had finally made it to the club. There was a line of people nearly miles long outside of the door. Mercedes led Sam past the aggravated people waiting to get in. He made an apologetic smile towards them. "I feel like I'm going to P-Diddy's birthday party."

"James has a lot of friends." Mercedes and Sam made it to front of the line, where there was a plump man with a knitted pom-pom hat letting people in and telling people to 'go the fuck home' because they weren't on the list. He acknowledged Mercedes with a welcoming hug and kiss on the cheek, she maneuvered past his size and into the club. Just as Sam tried to do the same, a rough hand was placed abruptly in his face.

"Ho-ho-ho-hold the fuck up. Where do you think you're going, Casper?" The man was thoroughly entertained.

"I'm just—"

"Nah, see, I think you got lost on your way to the cul-de-sac or Meemaw's house or where ever cuz' you sho-nuff ain't on this list!" The man flipped through the pages of the list again. Mercedes appeared and put her hand on the man's shoulder and whispered something to him. The man made a cross look to Sam then unlatched the velvet rope to let him in.

"Thank you, Boo-boo." Mercedes gave Boo-boo another kiss on the cheek. Sam sneered as he squeezed past him and also thanked him, using emphasis on what he hoped was his nickname. Sam closely followed behind Mercedes, his chest to her back. His nose, accidentally first then purposely, grazed the grains of her hair which smelled of some exotic fruit he probably couldn't pronounce. At the end of the dark tunnel they were wading through emanated this deep crimson glow that would have said something ominous if it wasn't a nightclub. Soon, the only thing to see was nearly a hundred of well-dressed, young people grinding and dancing to the thumping rap music blasting from the stage. There was this guy performing with a DJ behind him and he had the crowd in the palm of his hand. Mercedes gestured for Sam to crane his neck down to tell him the man performing was James. Another fit of jealousy was wafting over Sam, much different to the one of Puck. There was not much need for Sam to worry about Puck because he was her past and from what Mercedes said, it seemed likely he would stay there. However, as Mercedes beamed with nothing short of pure jubilance at James who, Sam had to admit, was tearing it up, he couldn't help but fret over the potential jeopardy of their budding relationship that he desperately wanted to have a future. As James was wrapping up a song he titled, 'Over' with the crowd's hands waving back and forth in the air like a violent sea, he made a leap from the stage to run directly for Mercedes. He swept her into a hug that went on a minute too long for Sam.

" 'Cedebaby! You made it! And damn! You look good enough to eat, honey!" James mimed taking a bite of her neck, making Mercedes giggle. Sam cleared his throat and made a mental note not to call her 'honey' anymore.

"Oh, um, James this is my—my…" Mercedes searched Sam, looking for help. It was clear that he was more interested in embarrassing her and making her find a definition for their relationship. After Sam's amusement was over, decided by Mercedes slapping his arm, he introduced himself as her friend. James shook Sam's hand and looked him dead in the eyes. Mercedes looked up at the both of them, smiling. She wanted nothing more for the two of them to get along, even though she knew that probably wasn't the best idea, with her feelings for them and all…

"Oh, 'Cede, we gotta perform our new songs! C'mon, girl!" James was pulling her away from Sam, until Mercedes reached for Sam's hand.

"But, Sam—"

"He doesn't mind, right Sam? He probably wants to see you blow the roof of this mothafucka' just as bad as I do!" James made a smile that made Sam want to hurt him. Of course James was smart enough to put him in the position of the bad guy, but Sam wasn't going to take it, not at the expense of Mercedes being caught in the middle.

"Get yo' fine ass up there girl! I'll be fine!" Sam covered his disappointment with a grin. James dragged Mercedes to the stage; she turned around to mouth 'I'm sorry' to Sam. He nodded, forcing himself to accept that right now, James was more important than him. On the way to the club, Mercedes spoke of James like he had created the moon and the stars. Sam tolerated listening about how talented and smart and how much of everything he was, secretly hoping that it was just platonic admiration and that one day she would see him the same way, but as a lover. That's right. Her bonafide lover. It had only been a week but he felt the things that you could only read in a Nicholas Sparks' novel or hear about in the greatest love songs. Therefore, no way in hell was he just going to walk away.

Mercedes and James graced the stage with a few woops and cheers of her name, Sam's being one of them.

"Where are all my fancy girls?" James asked quickly before the song started, leaving the crowd to go crazy.

**[Mercedes and James]**

_Oh you fancy huh?_

_Oh you fancy huh?_

_Oh you fancy huh?_

_Oh you fancy huh?_

_Nails done, hair done, everything did._

_Nails done, hair done, everything did._

Mercedes owned the small role she had as back-up singer and Sam loved watching her. Fuck James, _she_ was the one who was the real star in Sam's eyes. The one thing his eyes could have done without was James always motioning towards her and blowing kisses at her throughout the song. Friends don't do that. Not the friends he imagined James and Mercedes to be anyway.

**[James]**

_Mature women with more than me were the first to tempt me_

_I know this girl named Mercedes with a purple Bentley_

_How she got it, I ain't never get to ask_

_But I knew that she was fine like a ticket on the dash_

Mercedes' big laugh echoed the club as James pretended as if he was filling out a patroller's report. After the song had ended, Mercedes looked like she was ready to come down from the spotlight until James pulled her back, begging her to do another song. Sam was past annoyed. He only came to this party to spend more time with Mercedes, not to watch her act all couple-ish with another dude, but it was okay. As long as Mercedes was having a good time, that was all that mattered.

* * *

><p><strong>One hour later…<strong>

Sam was sitting at a round table covered with half-full and empty wine glasses. James and Mercedes were still going strong, performing back to back without any signal of stopping. Sam sighed and drank from his champagne flute. Constantly he had to stop himself from storming to the stage, grabbing Mercedes and carrying her like a caveman out of the club and back to his place. His plan would be to keep her in bed for weeks, making her so weak the only thing she'd be able to say would be 'Sam'. James, who? But finally, Mercedes was walking towards Sam with a look that marked how awful she felt.

"Sam, I am so sorry. I had no idea James wanted me to perform tonight." That made Sam even angrier. He was now convinced that James did this shit on purpose.

"It's alright. I enjoyed it." That was partially a lie. He did enjoy watching her perform. Whenever she sang, Sam's heart grew another size. He imagined the way they would sing to each other and eventually, to their children. He just didn't like that it was with James. Sam stood to his feet, taking Mercedes by the hand. "I'm gonna have to take my dance now."

"Can we sit down for a sec? Being on stage so long has made my legs all wobbly—"

"No. I like this song and don't worry. I'll hold you close to me."

The song was slow and hazy, pouring over the club like a mid-afternoon sun. Couples were dancing in rhythm, while Sam led Mercedes to a dark corner of the club.

_Flower bomb, let me guess your favorite fragrance  
>And you got that bomb, huh, I'm tryna detonate you<br>No disrespecting baby, just tryna make you smile  
>Try to keep my spirits up, that's why I lays it down<em>

First, Sam slowly spun her around to appreciate the work of art that was the curves of her body. Then, he pulled her flush against him beginning to grind, slow and hard. Mercedes met his movements with pleasure, she wrapped her small hand around the back of his head, giving him a better view of what she was working with. Little did Mercedes know that she was touching Sam's spot.

_And we way too young to know love, maybe not but we don't need no rush  
>Don't believe in love at first sight, but I believe in love at first huh<br>Can I be with you just one night? I could wear you out inside  
>I could tell you like persistence, but I make you cum in tri's<em>

He let out a soft hiss as she touched the nape of his neck, driving him to insanity. Sam's lips made contact with Mercedes' earlobe and she decided to press herself closer to him against her better judgment. His hands were playing with the frills of her dress, too tempted to put his hands on her thighs. They went everywhere else: from her soft stomach to her waist, even daring to go to the sides of her breasts. When Mercedes bent down a little lower, guiding herself to his happy place, he took that as a sign. His large hands traveled to the tops of her thighs with the tips of his fingers underneath her dress. Sam directed the figure 8's Mercedes was making on his hips. Sam's brain was officially silly putty. He sang the lyrics of the song like a lullaby in Mercedes' ear, his soft lips brushing close to her neck every now and then.

**[Sam]**

_We're living in a fantasy  
>I feel it when you dance with me<br>It's feeling like you need to be  
>My lady, my baby, yeah<br>Can't you see  
>I'm talking about eternity<br>Tell me would you care to be  
>My lady, my baby<em>

The way they were dancing at this point was inappropriate to say the least. It was like Sam and Mercedes were trying to mesh themselves into one person. Moving perfectly in sync, they turned their slow-dance into something dirty and definitely suggestive. But let's be honest: there relationship had left the age of innocence. It had never even entered into that realm. Mercedes shut her eyes, feeling as if they were the only ones in the whole club and the heat of Mercedes' perfect body was becoming Sam's whole world.

**[Sam]**

_Let me teach you all the sounds of love_

When the song ended to be replaced with a faster song, Mercedes was startled to see some people staring at them. She cleared her throat and tugged at herself, fixing any clues of her unraveling. Suddenly, Sam made her face him. His eyes had the same glazed look they did at the park.

"Mercedes, I have to tell you something." Sam said earnestly.

"What is it?"

"I think I'm pregnant."

The pair laughed as Sam's arms held Mercedes close to him.

"You are crazy." Mercedes surprised herself and Sam when she gave him a quick kiss. Sam held her tighter.

"Mm, you like my crazy." Sam showered Mercedes with tiny kisses all over her face making her giggle and then paid more attention to her luscious lips. He made the kiss deep, his tongue breaking the entrance her two lips made. Even when Mercedes tried to come up for air, Sam made her continue to drown with him. "Let's get out of here." He said, releasing a low growl as he began to kiss her neck. Sexxxxx. Sex with five x's, because she could feel Sam's member throbbing into her thigh and her loins were pulling at her own carnal cravings. The only thing holding her back was James.

"Okay, okay." Mercedes gasped. "First, I want to say goodbye to James." She was trying to escape, but Sam held her back.

"Don't you think he's had enough of your time, tonight?" Mercedes could no longer breath in Sam's arms, he was holding her like a snake. "Come on, I don't think he'll notice if you leave early."

"It will only take a second." Mercedes fought Sam off, making a confused look at him. She weaved through the crowd to find James, but Sam followed close behind. Mercedes interrupted James' conversation with three ladies with a bear-back hug. James turned around to hug her again. Sam couldn't make out what they were saying, but as long as it was something like 'I'm leaving with Sam', he was chill. Mercedes had this luminous look about her when she was next to James. She was being flirty and playing with her hair and repeatedly touching him. Things they would do, except it was opposite: Sam would be the one to initiate the flirting most of the time. With James, Mercedes was an expert. Their smiles were wide as James pulled her in for what seemed like their thousandth hug. With that, Sam finally got it.

* * *

><p>Sam and Mercedes were walking the empty streets after their uncomfortably silent train ride. Mercedes was taking in the lead, letting Sam burn holes through her with his heat vision. She tested him by walking faster then slower then faster again to see if he was doing this on purpose. He was. She stopped to face Sam, anger playing out on her otherwise soft features.<p>

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Sam said not meeting her eyes. Mercedes huffed and continued to stomp ahead of him, until Sam ran to catch up to her. "You love him, don't you?"

Mercedes slowed her steps, then had them return to their regular pace. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You do! You have feelings for James." Mercedes eyes tightly closed. Was it that obvious? "What am I? A rebound, a distraction, what is it? I mean, the guy has this fucking harem of girls and he barely even speaks to you unless he wants you to be his monkey—" Now, Sam was stepping on the edge. She could understand that he felt used, but he can't just talk that way about one of her friends, unrequited feelings or not. Mercedes came to halt that made Sam trip back a few steps.

"Who the hell do you think you are to talk about James like that? You don't know him! You don't know our relationship! I've known him for years and he is my best friend. I've known you, what, a week, maybe and you think you can stomp around being all fucking possessive of who I talk to and who I'm with? Nuh-uh, no go." She waved her finger in his face and walked away, intending for that to be the end of their short-lived romance, but Sam wasn't letting her go that easy. He ran up to grab her wrist, but she snatched it away.

"Okay, maybe I was out of line to say all that, but Mercedes, if I can figure out how incredible you are after a week and you've known that guy for years and he still doesn't know…" Sam took a deep breath. "Then, _fuck him_."

"Sam—" Mercedes warned. She always heard the same thing from Quinn, but she had permission to give tough love. Sam did not, even if what he was saying was true.

"Does he know what makes you smile the most? Okay, see you have two tell-tale smiles: The first is when you're talking about the kids you work with at the church and the second is when you're singing. You hate it when people don't have manners. You love to eat macaroni and cheese with crushed potato chips and you're allergic to flowers, yet you love them in your home. Your favorite Holiday is Thanksgiving, because you like to see your nephews and niece…" Sam stated to pluck at his fingers trying to think of what else he knew about her but gave up when he saw Mercedes smiling. "My point is, what does time matter? I know all of these things about you and I cannot wait to know more. Mercedes, I want to be the kind of man that you deserve-fuck _I am_ the type of guy you deserve and…I don't know what I can do to get you to realize that." Mercedes wished she knew the answer, but she couldn't give him one. She stared at her hands, afraid to meet his eyes for fear of crying. She was literally torn and she didn't know what to do anymore.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I wish I could just be with you, but…I can't just undo my feelings for James. It doesn't work like that." Sam reached for Mercedes' hands.

"Listen, we've done all of this talking about how you feel about him, but…Mercedes, how do you feel about me?" The lingering question was finally asked.

"Sam…" Mercedes began to blush and giggle, like she was being told a secret. "Gosh, when I'm with you, I feel like a princess. You treat me like I'm the most important thing in your universe and it makes me feel good." She palmed the side of Sam's face and he leaned into her touch, kissing her hand. "But at the same time, I feel horrible because I can't give you all of me if I'm unsure of my feelings. It isn't fair to you." Sam's softness sobered and he looked at Mercedes with sad eyes.

"Okay, then I guess…maybe we should take a break from seeing each other for a while." Mercedes frowned. "I mean, you can't make a proper decision if I'm in your face all the time."

"But I like you in my face all the time." Sam chuckled.

"This isn't just for you, it's for me too. I don't want to fall any deeper into something that may not even exist." Mercedes huffed, letting go of his hands.

"Would you look at this shit?" She laughed dryly. "We weren't even dating and now we're breaking up."

"No. No, no, no. I am not letting go of you, shortcake. Believe that. If you decide that you want _James _and not me, that's alright. I'm just gonna fight for ya' and I don't fight fair."

* * *

><p>Sam proposed it would be best to start their break after he walked her to apartment door. He needed all the time to get the odds in his favor. Mercedes was taking her keys out of her clutch when Sam shoved her against the wall. Then, he kissed her so passionately and so well, that she would be breathless for days.<p>

"You know, what else James doesn't know? How good you taste." Sam pressed a lusty kiss on her lips, darting their tongues together quickly to leave her with wanting. "Come on, Mercedes. Let me show you what you'll be missin'." Sam begged in his airy southern drawl and pressed himself on her, letting his fingers get caught between her thighs. Mercedes subconsciously let one of her legs loop around Sam's and now there was no turning back. Her breathing hitched as Sam teased the lips of her mound. Mercedes took her free hand from his back and let it slide down his torso. She found his zipper and put her hand on the inside on his pants, stroking him gently.

"Oh, naughty girl." Sam growled and as Mercedes continued at the pace she was going and his mind was spinning. Sam wasn't too far gone to think clearly, however. He stopped Mercedes. "Wait," he panted, "what if Quinn is in there?"

"I'm willing to take that chance, if you are."

Sam smirked and threw both of her legs around him, while Mercedes leaned her back against the door for support. He took the keys from her and she wrapped her arms around his neck with huge guffaws of laughter. This stopped when Mercedes and Quinn's neighbor, Old Man Jenkins started to walk down the hall with his shaky, frail dog, Darrius. Sam and Mercedes froze in their very position as Mr. Jenkins glared at them, the wrinkles on his face scrunching.

"Goodnight, Mr. Jenkins." Mercedes said sweetly, while Old Man Jenkins grumbled something and continued to go on his way. Once he was out of sight, Mercedes sighed and planted her head in the crook of Sam's neck as he was still carrying her in his arms.

"This probably isn't a good idea, is it?" Sam whispered into her hair.

"No. It's not."

**A/N: Hi! In honor of last night's episode I decided to update today, instead of Friday. Can I just say how pleased I am with myself on the fact that I basically called Puck owning his own business after high school? *****high fives self***** I know a lot of you are probably disappointed after this chapter, but you have to wait with me guys. I like to let shit build. Anyway, thank you for reading! Reviews are wonderful.**

**P.S. James' nickname is pronounced 'Say-dee baby'. Not 'Seed baby'. Not 'Sade baby'. I decided to announce that after a ten minute argument with my mom. Just in case.**

**Songs used:**

"**Fancy" by Drake ft. T.I. and Swizz Beats.**

"**Lotus Flower Bomb" by Wale ft. Miguel. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Glee.**

"Come on, come on, come on…" Mercedes sat anxiously in her bed, staring at the screen of her laptop. Her iPhone at her side, she checked her inbox to see if there was any new texts from her friends and outbox to see if she had gotten the time zones right. Then, she heard a 'ding' come from the computer and window appeared.

"Good morning!" Kurt sang in an operatic voice, donning a white facial mask. The scenery was still dark around him, the sun had not hit California's horizon yet.

"Hey, Kurt." Mercedes softly smiled. "Thanks for being up so early."

"Well, I do like my beauty rest, but you are the only thing more important than that." At the bottom corner of the screen, a very drowsy Blaine came to view.

"Mm, who are you talking to? Is that Mercedes? Hi, Mercedes!" Blaine made a lazy smile, his face taking up three-quarters of the camera. "I miss you!" Mercedes giggled and waved to Blaine's lips. Kurt lowered the laptop and Mercedes heard a hushed argument then the sounds of soft kisses. When she saw Kurt again the scenery behind him was moving.

"Sorry, I forgot about Blaine." In the bright light, Mercedes could see the turban on his head. "So, who else we waitin' on?"

"Quinn and Tina."

"Well, you can forget about Tina." Kurt set the computer down on what looked like a kitchen, because Mercedes could see a fridge. He pulled a chair and sat so Mercedes could get full value of his Louis Vuitton pajamas. "With that baby, you know she's snoring like a freight train right now." Mercedes nodded. Tina was currently all alone with her and Mike's newborn, Teresa. Mike was touring the world with Justin Timberlake as a choreographer and Tina was left to wipe up spit from her shoulder. "If she calls me anymore, it's to bring over diapers."

"At least you guys have the luxury of visiting each other." Mercedes said, sadly.

"I know."

Another chiming sound and Quinn entered the conversation. Her hair was tussled and face clean of the makeup she wore the night prior. She was sitting against a dark wooden headboard and her bare neck would suggest she was naked.

"Hey, guys! Sorry, I'm late!"

"Hey, Quinn." Kurt and Mercedes said in unison.

"Wait…where are you?" Mercedes asked.

"I'm at Jeff's."

"That doesn't look like Professor Milton's room." Mercedes would know because they have video chatted from there before.

"I'm in the guest bed. He's having some work done in his bedroom." Quinn's explanation convinced Kurt, but Mercedes wasn't sure she believed her.

"So, what's the emergency?" Kurt said, pouring some Special K into a teal bowl. "Please, tell me you finally let the singing bum bang you." Quinn smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Kurt!"

"Look, Mercedes with the pictures you sent, I'd let him_ bang me. _No dinner. No movies. No questions asked. Just a bed." Mercedes covered her face. "Wham. Bam. LORD THANK YOU SAM!" Kurt threw his hands to sides of the counter and his head back in a hilariously fake orgasm. Quinn was now gone from sight and her camera was shaking from laughter.

"I hope Blaine hears you!"

"I do too! I want him to help me finish…" Kurt made a devilish grin and put his spoon slowly in his mouth. Mercedes rolled her eyes and Quinn popped back up, running her fingers through her hair. "But seriously, Mercedes, why haven't you let him hit that?"

"Well, I was about to…until he asked me for a definition."

"A definition?" Quinn asked. "As in 'are-you-my-girlfriend'?"

"Yes."

"What did you say?" Kurt said, with his empty silver spoon in the air. Mercedes mentally prepared herself for the reactions she was about to get.

"I told him I didn't know." Quinn and Kurt both made a loud 'UGH!' but not to be outdone, Kurt threw his spoon to an unknown place in the kitchen. "I know you guys hate James, but I can't help what I feel and I feel confused!"

"We don't hate James—"Quinn began to explain to be cut off by Kurt.

"I do." He said, while effortlessly munching on his cereal.

"Mercedes, I just want you to be happy, no matter who you're with but, James does not appreciate you like Sam does." Kurt found a new spoon and pointed at Mercedes, nodding like he was perfectly in tune with a preacher's sermon. "Sam is at your beck and call and James always leaves you on the backburner, I've seen it! Kurt has seen it!" Quinn gestured to herself and Kurt while he was quietly saying 'Preach'. "You deserve to be second to no one, Mercedes. I don't want you to forget that because you're holding to something that doesn't even exist."

Something clutched at Mercedes' heart when she heard Quinn use Sam's exact words. _ It doesn't exist._ For almost five years, Mercedes had been waiting on a fantasy that was entirely in her own mind. She would try numerous things to get James to notice her: revealing a little more cleavage then needed, new perfume, heels that she would nearly kill herself in. She got a reaction but only a small compliment, not him sweeping her off the floor and taking her passionately. But, it's not James fault he simply is not attracted to her. How would she even know? She never grew the confidence to ask him out. Being old-fashioned and timid, Mercedes left it up to him. James is not the bad guy, Mercedes is.

"I guess, I…I should talk to Sam."

"YES!" Kurt screamed.

"But first, I want to talk to James." Forever Team Sam groaned. "I just want to be sure."

"Mercedes, you let this man finger-fuck you in a national, _public_ landmark." Mercedes' face flushed as Quinn gasped. "If he is not your boyfriend, we have some serious, _serious things_ to talk about." Kurt said before leaving to wash out his bowl.

"You didn't tell me that!" Quinn said as Kurt made a loud 'Mm-hmm'. "You dirty, little tramp." Quinn shook her head while doing the 'shame-on-you' gesture. Kurt smiled then joined in.

"Mm, but does he have long fingers at least?" Kurt perked up. "You know what that means—"

"Okay, bye guys!" Mercedes' screen abruptly went to black. It was just now just Kurt and Quinn.

"Quinn…"

"Kurt?"

"Why are you still dating that professor?" Kurt had a genuine concern in his voice. Quinn rolled her eyes.

"Kurt—"Quinn was getting sick of this.

"You are so young and so beautiful, why can't you just find someone your own—"

"Bye, Kurt." Quinn shut her laptop with frustration. Who does Kurt think he is, her mother? She didn't understand why no one could handle or accept the decisions she makes for her life. Whether those choices were good for her or not was regardless. She rolled out of bed and found a silky navy blue button-down on the floor. After assembling the buttons, Quinn picked up a pair slacks and removed the belt from the loops to wrap around her torso. Finally, slipped on her tights, grabbed her ankle boots and made her way to the divine smell coming from outside the room. Quinn discovered Puck making breakfast. Puck smiled at the way his shirt slinked on her body when she moved. "Something smells good!" She said over his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his abs.

"Fried bologna and eggs." He lifted the frying pan making the slices of meat flip and the eggs jump in the air.

"The breakfast of champions."

"You know it, babe." Quinn let out a laugh and kissed him on the cheek. Puck began to frown when he saw Quinn struggle to get her boots on. "Where are you going?"

"I have to get to class." Quinn saw her jacket hanging off the couch and put it on.

"But, I'm making breakfast. Don't you want breakfast?" Puck pouted. Quinn couldn't stand his long face and quickly skipped over.

"Okay, a quick bite!" Quinn opened her mouth to be fed a forkful of egg and a piece of bologna at Puck's hands. She laughed with her mouth full. "Thanks!" She was almost out the door, when she ran back for her purse. Quinn threw the straps of her bag over her shoulder and yanked the door open to let it slam. Puck sighed and fixed his plate while putting Quinn's back in the dishwasher. Suddenly, the door opened again and Quinn was flying back in. Puck put his plate on the counter when Quinn ran into his arms. His sense of touch was enjoying the fur of her coat and feel of her tongue. When she finally released she asked, "Are you sure Sam didn't know I was here?"

"Yeah. You made me check, like 8 times."

"Where is he?"

"He left this morning." Quinn nodded self-assured and gave Puck a chaste kiss, leaving him missing her mouth on his. She was out of the door once again and once again in Puck's life, much to his pleasure.

* * *

><p>Mercedes fastened her long, black down coat closer to her body as she opened the door to the Starbucks. She made a pause when she saw Sam tuning his guitar slackly. Mercedes mouthed an expletive to herself and parading up to him, showing her exasperation.<p>

"I thought you said 'no talking'?" Mercedes said, with her hand on her hip.

"I'm not here to talk, shortcake. Only to play." Sam gave her a million dollar grin, but Mercedes wasn't having it. She gave the 'I'm-watching-you' expression with her hands, Sam did nothing but snicker. Mercedes waited in line for her coffee then took her seat at her favorite booth. What a coincidence that Sam didn't start to play until then.

"Good morning, everyone." Sam said.

"_Good morning, Saaammm." _A few girls in front of Mercedes' swooned. Mercedes eyes rolled heavily as she sipped her Mocha. He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. Mercedes wanted to strangle him.

"Good morning, um, I have a special dedication today. So, uh, I hope you all like it." Mercedes reached in her bag for her headset. If there was one thing that could sink her ship, it was Sam's voice singing.

**[Sam]**

_Whoa_

_I really need to know, yeah_

_Whoa_

_Or else, you gotta let me go, oh_

Sam inspected to see in Mercedes was paying attention, but he couldn't see her over the crowd of head's that gravitated towards him.

**[Sam]**  
><em>This time I really need to do things right<em>

_Shivers that you give me keep me freezing all night_

_You make me shudder, oh yeah_

Sam was literally standing now and he saw Mercedes, sitting in a booth with headphones and a book. '_Oh, she's smart' _Sam thought, '_But I'm smarter.'_ He moved from his usual spot at the beginning of the Starbucks and made his way to Mercedes, still playing his music.

**[Sam]**

_I can't believe it I'm not myself_

_Suddenly, I'm thinking about no one else_

_You make me shudder_

_I really—I really need to know_

_Or else you gotta let me go_

The people in the café begin to clap in rhythm, a noise that was louder than Mercedes' Chrisette Michele song. She pulled off her earbuds to see what all the racket was about and saw Sam serenading her, once again. It was like she could hear the 'Ha-ha, I got you now' in his voice.

**[Sam]**

_You're just a fantasy, girl_

_It's an impossible world_

_All I want is to be with you always_

_I give you everything_

_Pay some attention to me_

_All I want is just you with me always_

_Give me affection_

_I need your perfection_

_Cause you feel so good you make me_

_S-st-stutter_

Sam finished the song and Mercedes made an irritated look at him. He went back to his stool and as Mercedes was about to leave, she approached him.

"You think you're slick, don't you?"

Sam put a finger to his lips and said "Shhhh…" then made the Little Rascals wave at her. As mad as she was at him, when she turned around she couldn't fight the actual smile she had on her face.

**A/N: Because it's Fillleeerrrrr! Filler nighhtttt! Sorry, guys I know you didn't get much from this chapter and to be honest the next chapter will deal more with Quick and Mercedes/James, but it's gonna be worth it I hope! Also, thank you so much to everyone who has alerted and reviewed this story, I appreciate it and I love it, so keep it coming! **

**Songs featured: Stutter by Maroon 5**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own any character of Glee. Ugh, this is so obvious, I hate these things.**

Arms. Quinn was too squeamish to be a doctor, but she wish she could understand what made that specific body part so powerful. Particularly, she wished she could dissect everything about Noah Puckerman that made him so irresistible to her. If he wanted her, he could just wrap her against him and she would instantly crumble. Even as her head rested on his chest, she felt content just listening to him breathe, his hands comfortably on her bare back.A couple of weeks after their reunion they found themselves in a pattern: Puck would pick the perfect time to just just 'run into' Quinn near Columbia after she had class by making sure Sam would be out. She would remind him that she was seeing someone but Puck would just insist that he wanted to have a friendly cup of coffee. The thing is they would only have coffee, post-coitus. Their meetings crossed over from night to day. It was cutting into her time in every aspect, notably with Jeff. Although their relationship was open, Quinn telling him she had to be shared by her high-school ex, was not. If Jeff saw her so much as talking to another male student, he would shut it down. She was covertly dodging Jeff's attempts to see her to be with Puck and it was becoming exhausting. They were almost found out when Jeff followed her out of class, but luckily another student needed his help with a paper.

"Puck..." She muttered while lying across from him. His eyes were closed but she could feel he was awake. Puck's eyes fluttered open and he made a sleepy smile, pulling Quinn closer to him. "No."

"We're in bed together already, do you really think you can still play hard to get?" Puck whispered into her ear, while his hand slid down her hip.

"Puck, I-I don't think I can do this anymore. Whatever this is." Puck stopped and gave Quinn a serious look.

"I told you, I don't care about whoever you're seeing." Puck shadowed his lips over Quinn's before she backed away.

"But I do." Frustrated, Puck abruptly sat up in the bed and ripped the covers off of his naked form. He began to angrily clean his room by picking up all of Quinn's clothes. "What are you doing?" Suddenly, he tossed the messy pile at the incredulous Quinn.

"Get out." Puck said, simply.

"Are you serious?"

"Are you? You claim you care so much about this dude you're seeing, but you have no problem crawling back into bed with me. No fucking problem at all, but you're still trying to make me the bad guy in all of this?"

Quinn sucked her teeth and slowly slid off the covers before coolly saying "This was a mistake, so I'm not _trying_ to make you _anything_." The words hurt Puck a little but he knew they were coming from a place of guilt. He had her in his grip and he wasn't going to let her go, not when they were so close to being..._something_. He shook his head and pulled her flush to him. Their skin pricked, sending bolts of electricity from one another.

"Face it, Fabray. We were made for each other, that's why we can't stay away..." Puck used his hand to cup her face while giving her an enveloping kiss. His tongue teased the tip of hers, gaining pressure. She almost buckled, but let her head get in the way.

"I can't! I..."Puck nuzzled and nipped at her neck while she was trying to talk. "Jeff is important to me."

"So? Doesn't mean that he's right for you." Slowly, they fell back onto the messy bed. Puck laid on top of Quinn, protecting her body like it was a crown jewel. "Why don't you just end things?"

"It's not that simple." Puck petted Quinn's blond hair and tilted his head.

"Why not?"

"He's...my professor." Puck's eyes squinted as if to ask Quinn if she was serious. She nodded, embarrassed.

"Ew."

"Puck-"

"_Ewwww_." Puck stressed as he thought about what the guy looked like. "But, professors are old and wrinkly and bald and they wear those jackets with the patches on them like hobos! Also, you're a law student! _You're breaking the law_-"

"Jeff is not bald nor wrinkly by any means." Quinn rolled from underneath him, annoyed. She sat up and stared outside of the window, watching the first snow of the season. Puck walked around the bed to sit on the edge of the bed with her. "And there's no laws against this, Puck. No university policy."

"But, I don't understand. You're smart, Quinn. You're one of the smartest people I know. You shouldn't have to jerk-off some skeeve for a good grade-"

"Fuck you, Puck." Quinn made a dry laugh. "I earn every grade I get."

"Then...I still don't understand. He's still old." Quinn shrugged and gave a sad smile.

"He was sweet and so intelligent. It was like I was just hoping for some of his intellectual knowledge would rub off on me. I had never been infatuated with anyone before, I think. It was...scary and exciting at the same time."

"Not even me?" Puck pouted. Quinn giggled and pinched Puck's cheek.

"With you? I don't know. I liked you enough but I didn't think I could ever love you. I never saw you for more than 'like'." Puck's eyes became dark and serious, then without warning he pounced on top of Quinn, attacking her neck with kisses and licks. He sucked on her bottom lip while his fingers sneakily put themselves in Quinn's mound. He covered her moan with his mouth, before speaking.

"Well, open those pretty eyes."

The rest of the night, Puck pulled out all of the tricks of the trade until he finally got Quinn to say that she'd leave Jeff. She agreed with enthusiasm over and over again as he pounded her g-spot, making her throw out all reason he knew but he was still going to hold her to the promise.

* * *

><p>Mercedes harshly breathed as she realized that she was getting closer to the NYU cafe where James was waiting and the fact that the snow was dampening her new weave. She had gone over what she wanted to say many times with Tina over the phone until she nodded off to sleep and all Mercedes could hear was light snoring. But no matter how many times she practiced, she never thought she could be prepared enough for this. So, taking cue from Quinn she decided to weigh the pros and cons of the situation. James may feel the way she does and might actually want a romantic relationship. Pro. Or, he may get freaked out and never speak to her again. Con. She reached the foggy window of the cafe and James was patiently waiting, writing more lyrics on his iPhone. He looks so cute in his beanie, Mercedes thought. Con. But so does Sam. Sam looks fucking great in beanies. ProCon (This could be good or bad because depending on how this went, she could see Sam in beanies all the time or never again). She shook the snowflakes and nerves off and entered the warm cafe. She tapped James' shoulder and he turned around flashing a toothed smile. With haste, he grabbed her into a tight hug, swaying her back and forth. If James didn't want to be in her life anymore after tonight, she would miss these hugs. Con.

"'Cedebaby! Where have you been?" James said, finally releasing her and putting the palms of his hands on her face. Con. "You found someone else?" Mercedes made an uncomfortable laugh and sat in the seat across from him. He didn't shave again, James always looked better without a shave. Con.

"James, stop." Mercedes rolled her eyes with a smile.

"So, what's up? I haven't seen you since my birthday." James took a sip of his coffee and licked his lips.

"Well..." Tina helped her say the simple, overused phrase but it couldn't come out now. It exploded in her brain like fireworks. I love you, I love you, I LOVE YOU.

"Cede...?"

"I LOVE YOU!...Oh my God. That just came out, like projectile vomit. I mean, "I love you!" Wow...but I do-I mean, I love you. And, God-I just love you and for some damn reason I can't stop saying it. It's like...for years I just-I just had all of these feelings and thoughts about us and...I love you." Mercedes stopped her rant as soon as she saw James' jaw drop to the table. James was frozen in time, not even blinking. Mercedes waved a hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his nearly catatonic state. He shook his head and made a heavy blink. His silence was the answer to everything. Con. "You know, you can say something at any time..."

"I'm sorry, Cede, that's just...a lot to swallow." James scratched his beard. "You really do love me?" Mercedes bashfully nodded her head, all out of words. "Wow, Cedebaby, you know I love you but-" He grabbed for her hand across the table. The fateful _'but'_. She knew where this was going, so Mercedes shooed his hand away.

"No, no, I know. Just forget I said anything-"

"No, Mercedes." James said earnestly, causing her to look at him. "I love you too. I love you a lot. You're smart, funny and beautiful. When I'm stressed your someone I run to and maybe if I wasn't so much of a pussy I would have made a move earlier but, now...you're like my sister. You are one of the most important relationships in my life and I don't want to ruin that. I want you to always be my best friend, okay?" Mercedes didn't know how to feel in this moment. A)James admitted to being attracted to her, B) He wanted to ask her out but didn't C) She had just been rejected. Whirlwind of emotion. "Besides, I thought you were with that white dude?"

"Sam." Mercedes corrected. Mercedes looked down at her hands and realized that A) Sam really likes her B) She hasn't gotten laid in months and from James' party she could tell that he could _put it the fuck down,_ and C) She really liked Sam. All pro's. Mercedes did love James, that was true but it was more than possible that she was just mistaking their familial love as real love. They had their connection as friends, not soul-mates. She was just lonely, seeing as how everyone in her life had someone but her. Mercedes always knew that James didn't feel the same way about her; she was just imagining things that didn't exist.

"Whatever. So what's the deal?" James said.

"Well, nothing's official yet. In fact, he wanted me to talk to you. He could sense that I felt something for you, I guess and wanted me to explore it before diving into a relationship with him."

"Oh." James' said before sipping his coffee again. "He sounds alright."

"He is. Better than alright." Mercedes smiled to herself, which got James smiling too.

"Well, what are you sitting here talking to me for? Get it, girl!" James made a girly accent, while gyrating in his seat preteding he was doing the 'uh-oh' made famous by Beyonce. Mercedes laughed heartily, throwing some napkins at him.

"Stop!" James stood up as Mercedes did, pulling her in for another hug. James danced with Mercedes again, rocking her back and forth.

"I love you, Mercedes." He whispered sincerely, bringing soft tears to Mercedes eyes.

"I love you too, James." James reassuringly rubbed Mercedes' back and gave her a kiss on the cheek before leaving, saying that he, Sam and Mercedes should all meet up for coffee one day. Mercedes told him she'd like that. Mercedes walked by herself on the sidewalk and checked her iPhone for messages. All of them were basically questions from Kurt, Tina and Quinn about how everything went. She was more than eager to answer, but she had to make one important text first.

_Hey. I want to see you._

_Mercedes._

Within seconds a reply came.

_Name the time and place._

_Sam._

**A/N: Alright, alright ya'll. Now, in the next chapter, Sam and Mercedes will ahem 'initiate' their relationship. But I don't fancy myself very good at smut so I cannot predict how hot it'll be. Also, things are about to get a whole lot darker for Quick. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Until we meet again.**


	10. Chapter 10

For someone who was generally pessimistic about relationships, Mercedes felt pretty good. It was contradicting to be a hopeless romantic and still always see her heart half empty, but this time her feelings were undeniable. They existed, not just for her but for him as well. Sam was coming over and she decided to dance in front of the mirror wearing her new underwear to calm her nerves. Mercedes cleaned her apartment with _Love On Top _on repeat, singing each word from her chest. Thank God Quinn wasn't home or she would have recorded this as blackmail. After the apartment was spick and spam, she got dressed, sprayed her favorite perfume in the air and on her neck and tossed her hair. No makeup, Mercedes wanted to look perfectly effortless. She sat in her Love Pink yoga pants that accentuated her apple bottom and impatiently waited for Sam to ring her doorbell. Mercedes kept busy by counting the nooks in the Stucco design of her wall.

_Ding-Dong._

There was a knock that came along with the chime and Mercedes took a moment to scream her excitement into the purple velvet of her couch. She made a quick jog to the door and stood on her tip-toes to see Sam peering back at her through the peephole. The door opened and the two people felt like a new chapter of their lives was about to begin.

"Hi." Sam said, grinning like he won the lottery.

"Hi." He wanted to pull her into a kiss but since he was unsure of the reason for their meeting, he settled for undressing her with his eyes.

"Hi." Sam repeated.

"Hi." Mercedes giggled. She wished she could read his mind because she never seen Sam look at her so intensely. Mercedes drank in Sam's appearance. It has only been a few weeks since they last saw each other, but she really did miss him. Then, she realized they were still in the hallway after watching Old Man Jenkins and Darrius walk by. Sam followed her gaze and saw the man and his dog who cockblocked him the last time they met.

"Hey, Mr. Jenkins." Sam greeted him. Mr. Jenkins scowled and grumbled something about how Sam didn't know him. Sam raised his eyebrows making Mercedes laugh again.

"Come on in." As she led him in, Mercedes eyes darted around her apartment. To an outsider, the place would have looked fine, just a little cramped is all. But to Mercedes, after an hour's worth of cleaning her home still looked like a dump. "Sorry about the messiness." Mercedes tossed a throw-pillow inches away from it's original spot on the couch just to put it back there seconds later.

"Looks fine to me."

"Can I take your coat?" Sam shrugged off his downcoat and handed it to Mercedes. She would have asked for his beanie, but he looked too damn good in it. Mercedes hanged his coat on the hook above the vent and quickly saw that there was nothing stopping them from straight fucking right there. So she ran to hide behind the refrigerator door.

"Would you like anything to drink?" Mercedes called all the way from the safe kitchenette. Sam made a heavy sigh while crashing on the couch.

"No thanks, but I would like for you to come sit with me." Mercedes closed the refrigerator door to softly smile at Sam. He patted the empty space next to him, as if to say _It's just me and you. _She sat with Sam, close enough to kiss. Instead of just diving into things, Mercedes decided to start a light conversation about the weather first. Yes, seriously. But, she was interrupted by the heavy groaning coming from the walls. At first, Sam thought maybe the place was haunted and that would've been awesome, but then a loud 'OH!' was heard and the sound of a headboard thumping in a steady rhythm.

"Oh my God." Mercedes covered her face.

"Is that-?"

"My neighbors."

"Do they always-?"

"If they aren't fighting, yes." Sam nodded, trying to be as disgusted as Mercedes when really he was a little turned on. A lot in fact. When it quieted, the couple next door sounded like they were taking a breather and the not-having-sex couple figured it was okay to start talking again.

"Mercedes?" Sam asked, licking his lips.

"Yeah?"

"Why am I here?"

Mercedes let air escape through her lips with a high pitched blubbering noise. Sam just wanted to grab a hold of her face and nibble on that mouth of hers. The girl and she wasn't even trying.

"Okay, so, I talked to James." Mercedes paused for effect. Nothing.

"I told him how I felt about him and he said he didn't feel the same way." Mercedes said, staring at her hands rubbing against her thighs. She looked up and Sam still had no expression on his face. However, his eyes were no longer the bright green she was used to. Now they were storming gray.

"Listen, I'm sorry if you felt-I'm sorry that I used you. It was wrong and if I was in your position, I wouldn't even want to hear what I would have to say because I would feel like a second choice. But, because you are here, I hope this means that you're still willing to give us a shot. Or maybe you've decided that we're better off friends and that's okay because I just want you to know that these weeks without you made me realize that I just want you in my life."

Sam cupped her cheeks and pulled Mercedes in for a deep kiss. Before she could even react, Mercedes was being force-fed Sam's answer. She relaxed into the kiss, lightly teasing his tongue with her own. This wasn't they first time they shared imitates through lips but the taste of each other felt brand new probably for the reason that now they were official. It was cheesy and high-school, but romantic enough for both of them to be completely swept away. Mercedes snatched off his green beanie and tossed it, after deciding that it would not be as hot if he kept it on all the way through.

They were both struggling to open his flannel shirt and remove it, when-_"Oh! Oh, God, yes! Ohhhh…"_ The couple next door were at it again. Sam was shaking off his sleeve but Mercedes stopped. She look incredulously to the wall.

"My God, don't they ever stop?" Mercedes said annoyed while Sam was trying to distract her with kisses and nuzzles to her face.

"Come on, shortcake. Let's out-do 'em." He strained out before collapsing on top of Mercedes. His hands brought their lips together once more, tongues crashing soft pressure to each others liking. Mercedes moaned softly when Sam gnawed as lightly as he could on her lower lip. He took his fingers from her cheeks and ghosted them around her curves that were still covered with clothing. He pulled his mouth from hers, almost taking her up with him but held Mercedes down. Sam stood on his knees while Mercedes pushed her hips into his hardness.

A hiss left Sam's lips, "You're my naughty girl, aren't you?" He lifted Mercedes' sweatshirt above her head, her loose curls falling beautifully around her face. Sam noticed the dark blue lace bra that pushed up her breasts to her neck almost. "Oh my God, this bra!" Sam brought his face into them.

"You like it? I bought a few more in different colors." Mercedes beamed. Sam then proceeded into a motorboat, making Mercedes squeal with laughter. He looked up at her flushed with a wicked smile before doing it again. Mercedes grabbed a small zebra print pillow and shrieked into it. Sam caught the pillow and threw it on the floor before discarding his own tank.

"None of that." He said, sliding down her sweats. "I wanna hear you, babe." He pressed his scruffy cheeks into her soft belly and gave her navel a puckered kiss. Mercedes bit her lip and internally begged for him to just take her but he has been waiting a while for this. They both have been. This moment was not to be rushed and Sam fully intended on taking his time. Mercedes silently thanked the Lord for Sam's lips as they made their way down to her inner thighs. His kissed up and down her mound, being able to smell that she was ready for him. When he worked back up to the start of her underwear, he grabbed the elastic with his teeth and dragged it down her thighs. Mercedes kind of felt like a floozie when she saw how easily her legs fell apart for the man, but didn't mind when his tongue tasted her slit. She moaned and her hands caught the couch cushion. He found her button and flickered it lightly, making Mercedes arch her back letting out a sob. Sam hummed a song, lips still against her clit while placing one finger inside driving her to a near comatose. In the next minute, he tasted the pleasure she echoed through the small apartment, cleaning up the mess he made eagerly. By the time he looked up, he saw Mercedes drunkenly laughing.

He quieted her laughter with lusty kisses. Sam hovered on his elbows over Mercedes. He reached into his back pocket for an emergency condom that has been living in his wallet for months. The worn pair of Levi's was now around his ankles. He ground his hardness against her, making her whine. Mercedes pulled him down for a long, intoxicating kiss. Sam discreetly slipped the condom around his girth and positioned himself inside her fitting like the tight piece of an almost done puzzle. Mercedes' eyelashes fluttered. He was so filling, it was unreal. The tightness was sucking him in like a black hole and Sam didn't know how he was going to make himself last.

"Does that feel good, baby?" He asked while pushing forward. She answered him with a sweet sigh and chaste kisses to his neck. Sam rocked her on his cock gently but Mercedes' movements ensured that she wanted something faster. Mercedes wanted Mach 5. Mercedes rolled them over to give herself the upper hand. Sam willingly obliged, steadying her on top of him with his hands at her sides. Her soft hands clutched his chest as she began to ride and ride she did. Sam felt his balls filling with each thrust.

"Kiss me! Kiss me…" Mercedes begged, as he pulled her right against him. They moaned into each other's mouths while the change of position was making Mercedes scream.

Unfortunately, the two were having way too much fun to hear the jingling of keys at the door. And Quinn was too damn busy listening to Fiona Apple on her headset to notice the sounds coming from her apartment. But truthfully, even if she had noticed them, she just would've thought it was her neighbors from across the hall but 10 times louder. She didn't see them at first because her eyes were down and they didn't see her because they were sucking at each other's faces, whispering dirty things.

As a part of fate, Quinn finally looked up in complete horror.

"Oh, Oh my God! OH MY GOD!" She dropped her bag and shielded her vision from her naked friends. Mercedes made an unpleasant scream while attempting to cover themselves with the blanket on the couch.

"Quinn, I thought you had class!"

"It was canceled, I'm sorry!" She spoke with her hand still in front of her face. "Hey, Sam."

"Hey, Quinn."

"Mercedes remind me never to set one _ass-cheek_ on that couch again-"

"Quinn!"

"All right, all right, I'm leaving! Carry on!" Quinn gave them a thumbs up with her head turned before shutting the door. Before Sam and Mercedes could take in the embarrassment, the door re-opened.

"Just getting my bag! Don't have sex yet!" Quinn swiped her tote and closed the door. Mercedes wiped her face of mortification and turned to look at Sam. He was sitting upright, letting the small piece of cover Mercedes allowed him block off the only part of him that matter. He didn't look embarrassed but his eyes were glassy. Uh-oh.

"Mercedes?"

"Yeah?" Mercedes asked carefully.

"You have your own bedroom, right?" Mercedes nodded. "With a lock?" She nodded again, excited now she knew where this was going.

"Let's go!" He said quickly, lifting Mercedes off the couch and carrying her bridal-style to her room.

**A/N: Excuse my horrible smut. Ugh, I don't know if that's gonna get any better, really. I'm sorry. But next chapter will be more of a Quick chapter, honestly. Welp, there you have it. Okay. Thanks for reading and sticking this out with me guys. It means a lot. See you next time.**


	11. Chapter 11

Quinn woke up that morning to find herself wrapped in soft, pale blue blankets. Warm and safe, she didn't want to move one muscle. That was until her phone rang. It sounded like it was far away, which was weird because she knew she put it on the nightstand. Sitting up, she looked around trying to follow the sound of a monophonic version of "The Hustle". Her eyes traveled to the end of the bed, where she saw Puck holding her phone.

"What are you doing?" She asked, pulling up the covers over herself.

"Jeff Milton called you." By the way Quinn's face faltered, Puck knew who that was.

"Puck, you can't just go through my phone." Quinn tried to deflect. Puck threw the phone next to her and stood with his hands on his hips, gracefully naked.

"You said you'd break it off with him!"

"Did I?" Quinn honestly didn't remember.

"Yes! The last night we spent together, you said you would!" Puck claimed. Quinn went back into the recesses of her memory to search for the moment when that could've happened. Her eyebrows perked up, then she narrowed her hazel eyes back at Puck.

"You can't ask me things like that pre-cum." Quinn scolded, using her lawyer techniques to find a way around this. "That's cheating."

"A promise is a promise, Quinn." Quinn left his sad eyes and gripped the sheets, feeling guilty and imagining herself in the jail cell of Puck's heart. Suddenly, Puck jogged out of the room and before Quinn could forget that Sam might be home and follow him, he paced back in with his acoustic guitar.

"If being in Glee club taught me anything," Puck started, "it's that I'm better at singing what I feel than talking and shit."

He sat Indian-Style at the end of the bed and plucked a few chords, seemingly unaware that Quinn was removing the covers from her body. Quinn carefully crawled from the top of the bed to get closer to him. He was always so gentle with his guitar, as if it was his newborn child. With the unconditional love that music often showed him, he only thought it fair to do the same and treat the instrument with tender loving care. Watching him play for Quinn was to watch him at his most vulnerable and intimate a side he rarely would allow to surface.

**[Puck]**  
><em>I was made to believe I'd never love somebody else<br>I made a plan, stay the man who can only love himself  
>lonely was the song I sang, 'til the day you came<br>Showing me another way and all that my love can bring_

A sweet smile tugged the side of Quinn's lips.

**[Puck]**

_Oh half of my heart's got a grip on the situation  
>half of my heart takes time<br>half of my heart's got a right mind to tell you  
>that I can't keep loving you<br>Oh, with half of my heart  
>with half of my heart<em>

Quinn sat the calves of her legs and the palms of her hands, gazing at Puck. He refused to look at her. He was afraid he'd abandon this borrowed love song and kiss her all over again, changing absolutely nothing.

**[Puck]**

_Your faith is strong  
>but I can only fall short for so long<br>Down the road, later on  
>you will hate that I never gave more to you than half of my heart<br>but I can't stop loving you  
><em>

**[Quinn]**

_I can't stop loving you_

**[Puck]**

_I can't stop loving you_

**[Quinn]**

_I can't stop loving you_

**[Puck]**

_I can't stop loving you with half of my..._

**[Quinn and Puck]**

_Half of my heart  
>Oh, half of my heart<br>_

Before he could make the last strum, Quinn pulled his face in for a kiss. Her tongue swept the inside of his mouth feverishly, letting him know what she wanted and it was what he wanted too. In agony, Puck tore himself away.

"Quinn, for a really long time I thought I was just the kind of dude that was meant to be alone. I've had some relationships, a lot of _relations _and sometimes it felt good. I have never felt better than when I'm able to make you laugh or rock you to sleep. Since high school, I've come to grips with the fact that I'd probably never be with you again, cause I fucked it up but now…I think this is a sign."

Puck held her hands.

"This is good. This is _right._" Quinn's eyes started to gloss with tears that shined in the sunlight.

Puck was not a good boyfriend to her. While she was pregnant with their child, if he wasn't trying to get into her pants he'd get into someone else's. Even after Beth was born, Puck basically abandoned her that summer. She was able to forgive his infidelity and immature ways but she couldn't just forget all that as much as she wanted too.

"But…it's too late for us." Quinn's voiced cracked. "Too much has happened—"

"That was almost ten years ago, Quinn. We can make some new memories. A new history, if you wanted."

Puck kissed the backs of her hands and then her wet cheeks. Quinn pressed her forehead against his. The natural city light fought through the middle of their profiles.

"But, you have to leave him." Puck said to her eyes. "Give us a fair chance."

* * *

><p>Quinn nodded and blinked a tear down her face. Later on the subway back to Queens, she listened to her playlist and watched the lights come off and on in the last train car. Instead of the lawyer in her weighing the pros and cons of the situation, she took cue from Puck and chose music to be her guide. When she climbed the stairs to the sidewalk, she shut her eyes and started to sing out hoping it would give her an answer.<p>

**[Quinn]**

_Once my lover now my friend  
>What a cruel thing to pretend<br>What a cunning way to condescend  
>Once my lover and now my friend<em>

Some passersby looked at her questionably and internally wondered if she had just escaped from the loony bin. Some fell in love with her because of beauty and the haunting passion with which she sung. Quinn held her jacket a little tighter and sang from her throat.

**[Quinn]**

_Oh, you creep up like the clouds  
>And you set my soul at ease<br>Then you let your love abound  
>And you bring me to my knees<br>Oh, it's evil, babe  
>The way you let your grace enrapture me<br>When will you know I'd be insane  
>To ever let that dirty game recapture me<em>

People made a path for her, willingly getting out of her way to stare astonished. She tossed a coin to a man without shoes sitting on the corner and let her cheeks rise in a keen smile.

**[Quinn]**  
><em>You made me a shadowboxer, baby<br>I wanna be ready for what you do  
>I've been swinging all around me<br>'Cause I don't know when you're gonna make your move_

Puck's face came to her mind and she pretended that she was singing to him.

**[Quinn]**

_Oh, your gaze is dangerous  
>And you fill your space so sweet<br>If I let you get too close  
>You'll set your spell on me<br>So darlin' I just wanna say  
>Just in case I don't come through<br>I was on to every play  
>I just wanted you<em>

Counting all of the kinds of eyes she got from strangers in her head, Quinn finally entered her apartment building. She entered the elevator and looked at her reflection.

**[Quinn]**  
><em>But, oh, it's so evil<br>My love  
>The way you've no reverence to my concern<br>So I'll be sure to stay wary of you, love  
>To save the pain of once my flame and twice my burn<em>

The elevator doors opened and she strode down the hallway. Her gloved hands tightly held the handle of her bag. She found that she was silently crying again. She was just realizing how much the song reflecting her feelings. Puck was asking for all of her and she couldn't resist or release him. Still, although Puck made it as if he was the only one who was hurting in all of this, Quinn was warring with the fact that she didn't want to be scarred by him again.

**[Quinn]**

_Yeah, you made me a shadowboxer, baby  
>I wanna be ready for what you do<br>I've been swinging all around me  
>'Cause I don't know when you're gonna<br>Make your move…_

Quinn was too damn busy singing to notice the sounds coming from her apartment. But truthfully, even if she had noticed them, she just would've thought it was her neighbors from across the hall but 10 times louder. She didn't see them at first because her eyes were down and they didn't see her because they were sucking at each other's faces, whispering dirty things.

As a part of fate, Quinn finally looked up in complete horror.

"Oh, oh my God! OH MY GOD!" She dropped her bag and shielded her vision from her naked friends. Mercedes made an unpleasant scream while attempting to cover themselves with the blanket on the couch.

"Quinn, I thought you had class!"

"It was canceled, I'm sorry!" She spoke with her hand still in front of her face. "Hey, Sam."

"Hey, Quinn."

"Mercedes remind me never to set one _ass-cheek_ on that couch again-"

"Quinn!"

"All right, all right, I'm leaving! Carry on!" Quinn gave them a thumbs up with her head turned before shutting the door. Before Sam and Mercedes could take in the embarrassment, the door re-opened.

"Just getting my bag! Don't have sex yet!" Quinn swiped her tote and closed the door. Quinn covered her own face in embarrassment and excitement for Mercedes and Sam. She was so happy for them both. Quinn went back down the hall off to Puck's to tell him the good news. Well, that and the other good news.

**A/N: Hello. Thank you for reading this chapter. I have not really decided what I wanted to do with the next one yet, but it's going to be a Spuck chapter (Sam/Puck). Don't worry. They're not having sex (honestly, I'm not sure how many of you view that as a bad thing). It's going to be a bro-ish chapter and I might have the girls' parallel to that. I dunno. Stay tuned to find out! Reviews are wonderful. Thanks.**

**Songs Used:**

"**Half of my Heart" by John Mayer ft. Taylor Swift**

"**Shadowboxer" by Fiona Apple**


	12. Chapter 12

Sweat trailed down the side of Sam's brow. He tried to control his breathing while simutaneously counting his progression. Sucking in more air through his nostrils, he raised the 100 lb weights above his head. Sam loved to workout. He always felt as if he pushed a little higher, reached a little further up, invincibility was within his grasp. Sometimes he pretended that he was lifting an army tank. Sometimes it was his family. More recently, it was a giggling Mercedes telling him to keep going but more often than not, he carried the world. He was his own superhero. Unlike the ones he created because he built his powers off of pure willpower not radioactive chemical waste.

With one last squat raise, he dropped the dumbbells and shook out his arms. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and it felt amazing. He could only compare it to the first time his was with Mercedes. Honestly, it could have been better; the bed was two sizes too small and his calves dangled off the edge, the other tenants conversations could be heard easily like they were within earshot. But it was all okay. He couldn't hear anything within their Cone of Cuddling.

Mercedes snagged some extra condoms from Quinn's drawer and they went at it all night. Well, at least until they thought they heard Quinn come home. Mercedes peaked out into the hallway and saw a light leaking out from her roommate's door. Sam tried to use his elements of persuasion to get Mercedes into letting him stay, but she was too paranoid. She wasn't ready to start having him stay over because that would mean she'd have to explain things to Quinn. Although the compromising position they were caught in earlier said enough.

Sam slowly dressed himself but Mercedes told him he wasn't slick in his seduction attempts. He sneaked to the door with Mercedes in toe and bargined that he would leave once she gave him one more smooch. Sam kissed like his parents grounded him and he wouldn't be able to see Mercedes until that next Monday at school, too long. They hung out as much as they could after that, but Mercedes had finals so Sam had a lot more free time to plan something special for Christmas and a celebration for the end of the semester.

He walked over to his iPod deck. When Jet was done playing their song, Passion Pit's _Sleepyhead_ came on. Luckily, he turned it off before Puck could hear his impression of the operatic singing and see his impromptu booty-shaking. As Puck entered their work-out room, he let the smell of push ups and spastic jumping jacks waft over.

"Dude, it fucking reeks in here." Puck's nose flared as Sam raised his arms to sniff the wetness of his cut-sleeve sweatshirt. "Open a window." Puck did so for the both of them.

"So, what are you doing today?" Puck asked, sitting on a bench.

"Um..I'm probably going to get more sketches done."

"Oh, just so you know, I may or may not have been in the art room."

"What? Why?" Sam said, fuming. He told Puck that his art room was strictly off limits. Puck was like that annoying little brother that always wanted to touch his things. Even his own brother wasn't as invasive.

"Hey! We made a deal! The work out room is mine and the art room is yours. You use this room more than I do and you don't see me having shit fits." Sam rolled his eyes at the reminder. "I only went in there because I thought you might have something cool in there like porn but all you had were those boring, unsexy sketches."

"Did you-"

"Don't worry," Puck made a nasally, hoity-toity voice, "I didn't touch the precious drawings with the precious tarps on them." Sam made a sigh of relief, bowing down to stretch.

"Hey, can I ask you something man?" Sam strained as he was in downward dog.

"Yeah."

"Can you not be here on Sunday night?"

"Oh, you got plans with Mercedes?"

"Yeah," Sam said, surprised and standing up. "How'd you know?"

"Quinn told me." Puck said naturally, but then his eyes bulged and his mouth tightened. Their relationship was supposed to be a secret from Sam she told him. But she said that when they were still sneaking around, so was it okay to talk about it now? All of the questions were making Puck's head hurt.

"Quinn told you? You're talking to Quinn?" Sam said curiously. He didn't know much about Puck and Quinn's relationship but remembering that she cussed when she saw him, Sam figured they had a bad history.

Puck's eyes darted around nervously, pondering if he should do damage control or just tell Sam what's going on. If he were to tell Sam about Quinn, he felt like he would have to explain everything starting with Beth. Sam didn't know he had a kid that he sent birthday and Hanukkah cards to. Considering the weirdness of bringing all of that out of the vault again, Puck decided on damage control. He thought that if he kept confusing the issue Sam would forget the conversation.

"...May-be..." Puck said, uncertain.

"Maybe? You just said she told you." There was another chance, but Puck didn't take it.

"...Maybe..." Puck repeated.

"All right, whatever." Sam shook his head and Puck made a happy sigh. "Anyway, yeah I need the house Sunday. Is that cool?" Sam went in for a fist-pound that Puck returned.

"Cool."

* * *

><p>Quinn was coming back to the apartment from another intern block at Chadbourne &amp; Parke, when she was met with fake flowers at the door. She picked them up and played with cloth material. When she opened the door, she was met with a living room full of fake calla lillies. Mercedes sat on the couch in the middle of the garden, smiling.<p>

Quinn was not. After the awe left her, she looked at Mercedes in a panic.

"Mercedes! You shouldn't be in here! Get out while I throw these away!" Quinn ordered, thinking about her friend's allergies to flowers.

"Don't worry, Q." Mercedes laughed. "They're fake." Quinn picked up a vase full of them.

"Sam?" Quinn asked.

"Mm-mm." Mercedes shaked her head and gave Quinn a folded card.

The card read:

_I wanted to get you real ones, but the real ones die. What we have is forever._

"Love, Noah." Quinn said, closing the card. She made a dry chuckle and ran a hand through her hair.

"Quinn..."

"Mercedes, please. I can't right now." Her tone was pitiful as tried to figure out what to do with the flowers. She started to place some on the kitchenette counter but when that didn't work, she thought maybe some could go in basket outside of the window like real ones should.

"Quinn, you're seeing Noah? I mean, Puck..." Mercedes corrected herself while stepping around the dozens of full vases on their carpet to follow the antsy Quinn.

"I-I don't-I can't-It's complicated."

"What about...Professor Milton?" Quinn sighed, putting some of the calla lillies in the kitchen sink. They always ate take out anyway.

"I don't know. I've been avoiding him lately." Quinn turned around and leaned against the counter. "Puck wants me to leave him. I do too, but..." Quinn played with the tips of her fingers and looked elsewhere instead of at another damn flower. Looking at Mercedes with fragile eyes, she shrugged.

"I don't know. I've been thinking about this and the past...just wondering if I break things off with Jeff now, does it really make me a better person? All the cheating, the lying, the hurting. Really, I'm no better than I was in high school. If I break up with Jeff, it's me just caring about what I want. As always." Quinn scoffed, rimming her eyes of tears.

Mercedes manuevered around the flowers once more to get to Quinn. She gave the crying girl a warm embrace, then stood back to look her in the eyes.

"Listen. We were all teenagers once: crazy, selfish and scared. But you've been through a lot Quinn, more than anyone I know. Maybe that's not a justification for bad behavior but you can be cut some slack. It's not like you were Rachel or anything." Both friends made a small laugh.

"Now, you know how I feel about you and Professor Milton," Mercedes continued. "And I can't tell you what to do or how to feel. I _can_ tell you that you have grown. Through the friendships that you've made here and the amazing friendship that you've shown me over the years. You've been loyal and considerate. Even the fact that you care about hurting Jeff means a lot. You are a lovely person, Quinn Fabray. You always have been. It's just sometimes you can lose your way. It doesn't make you bad; you're just human."

Quinn gave Mercedes another hug and pictured their souls swirling around in perfect harmony.

"You're my soul sister, aren't you?" Quinn asked, sniffling in Mercedes' ear.

"Forever."

Mercedes let go and held Quinn by her arms looking around at the chaos of flowers, finding it looked like a wedding threw up in their home.

"We have to do something about these flowers, though..." Mercedes laughed.

"Yeah, we really do." Quinn smiled and nodded. Mercedes grabbed the plastic reeds from a vase placed on the countertop and started to weave them together.

"Maybe I'll give some to my kids on Sunday."

"Aren't you seeing Sam on Sunday?"

"Yeah, afterwards."

"Hmm.." Quinn placed more of the flowers on top of the refrigerator. "Maybe I'll tell Jeff on Sunday, too."

"Quinn, I wouldn't want you to rush anything." Mercedes said. If Quinn was going to do this, Mercedes thought it would be better as a hit instead of a blow.

"I'm not. The sooner the better."

"Okay, but doesn't seem a little sudden?"

"It shouldn't. I mean, like I said I have been avoiding him." Quinn answered. "Plus, we both respect and care too much about eachother to harbor any bad feelings. It'll be fine." Quinn concluded sweetly, while strumming the petals of the bouquet and putting it on her lap.

"I hope so, Q. I really do."

**A/N: I'm sorry about the wait. The Tutor occupied most of my time. Thanks for the reviews and the favorites and the alerts (100! WOW!) But most of all thank you for reading. Take care.**


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